Episode 106: Appearance
In the returning train.
Kang Lim unnecessarily peeled and ate an egg and gulped down a drink.
The atmosphere was so heavy with silence that he felt like he had to do something.
‘When entering the Santa Maria Monastery, it was quiet and solemn, but on the way back, the mood was even more subdued…’
Kang Lim felt sorry for Shin Hansoo, who seemed to be very troubled.
It must have been a tremendous shock for him to overturn a research topic he had dedicated a long time to in an instant.
‘To think he would actually change all the documents… He really is a man of principles. Once he decides something is not right, he can’t change his mind.’
In the end, Shin Hansoo decided to use Kang Lim’s interpretation.
He said he would rearrange the supporting evidence to create academic materials and list Kang Lim as a co-author.
At first, Kang Lim was a bit taken aback by that decision.
He just wanted to share his opinions, not expecting things to escalate this much.
Still, he didn’t refuse. It was something Kang Lim had also pondered and pursued for a long time.
‘It might hurt the professor’s pride to accept my opinion… but why does he look so cool?’
Looking at Shin Hansoo, Kang Lim recalled the many corruptions that had occurred in the art world.
How many times had professors ruined students who opposed their views?
Some even stole students’ innovative ideas and works.
‘To think there’s such a clean scholar in the art world… He truly deserves respect for his professional integrity.’
At that moment, Shin Hansoo looked at Kang Lim.
Kang Lim lowered his gaze slightly at the sharp look.
It felt like being poked.
Fiddling with his hands as if watching his surroundings, Kang Lim felt embarrassed by Shin Hansoo’s reaction.
He looks so much like a twenty-year-old at times like this, but becomes a terrifying person when he focuses… A cunning fellow.
A monstrous boy who makes you gasp for breath.
Shin Hansoo recalled how Go Haeyoung praised Kang Lim.
Come to think of it, he had drawn a picture boasting an enormous amount of knowledge since entering college.
‘Indeed… He must have read a lot of books to be capable of such research.’
Looking at Kang Lim, Shin Hansoo thought of Karl Lagerfeld.
The fashion designer famous for being a workaholic. He was also active as a publisher.
He not only owned a bookstore but also had 200,000 books in his home which he read daily.
A person who dedicated his life to exploring knowledge, driven by intellectual curiosity to its peak.
‘That guy might possess even broader knowledge… He never forgets what he sees once…’
Shin Hansoo turned his gaze back outside the window.
Fixing his gaze on the scattering scenery, he spoke softly.
It was two hours after boarding the train.
“I wonder how your parents raised you… They must have borrowed books for you every day since you were young. Right?”
Kang Lim tilted his head at the sudden question.
It sounded similar to asking who his mother was… Is this a compliment?
Furrowing his eyebrows slightly, Kang Lim recalled past years.
No matter how much he thought about it, his parents never told him to read books.
It was such a clear and objective memory that he felt a bit bewildered because they really never said such things.
“Uh… No? My parents never did that. I went to the library by myself. I read so much that they told me to stop, saying it would ruin my eyes.”
“Then what did they do for you?”
After thinking for a moment, Kang Lim smiled brightly.
An energetic voice burst out.
“They just let me do whatever I wanted! They let me do everything I wanted to do.”
It was the easiest yet hardest thing for parents to do.
Why does that answer make my heart ache?
Looking at the passing scenery, Shin Hansoo reflected on his own life.
“Freedom…”
A few days later, Kang Lim attended a meeting with the artists.
Ryu Miyeon detailed the relay solo exhibition that would start this week.
She gave a specific briefing on everything from the exhibition concepts of the participating artists to the budget they could support.
‘Wow… I’ll finally get to see Isabelle’s solo exhibition too. I’m curious about the white world.’
Looking at Isabelle, the twin brothers, and Ryu Junhee gathered, Kang Lim smiled.
It finally started to feel real that he would exhibit here.
“Big, big trouble!”
At that moment, the door burst open and Seoyeon entered.
Had she run through the winter wind? Her cheeks were red.
How much had she run? Her panting echoed through the quiet meeting room.
“……”
Although it was almost over, the presentation had not yet finished.
Ryu Miyeon gave Seoyeon a disapproving look.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was too loud. I’ll tell you later.”
Seoyeon spoke in a slightly shrunken voice, and Ryu Miyeon smiled and said.
“It’s fine. We were about to finish anyway. You already know everything.”
“Oh… really?”
“Yes.”
Other artists nodded vigorously at Seoyeon.
They seemed rather glad that the boring meeting was over.
Especially the twin brothers, who made a fuss about the item Seoyeon was holding.
“What is it? That’s a famous magazine. Is our news in it?”
“Hey, why would our news be in it? We haven’t even exhibited yet.”
“Haha, that’s true!”
At Jaiden and Jason’s words, Seoyeon laughed.
She spread the magazine on the table and said.
“Do you know what this is?”
Colorful magazines.
At the bookstore and market entrances in Paris, there is a magazine section.
The most famous line is the Art Wall line. They only handle art magazines.
Especially the magazines with red borders. Art Prestige is the most famous among them.
The artists on the cover are always world-renowned.
It’s like the Times of Europe. This news spreads quickly across Europe.
“Of course! How could we not know? It’s Art Prestige! Only top-notch artists like Hito Steyerl appear on the cover.”
“But this cover is strange… Who’s the person in the black hood? R.F.? What a peculiar name!”
“That’s what I’m saying! It makes me so curious! Is it an initial?”
Ryu Junhee slightly furrowed his eyebrows.
…R.F.? This name sounds very familiar.
Ryu Junhee slowly turned his head and spoke to Seoyeon.
He seemed quite shocked.
“…What? Is Kang Lim in it?”
“Yeah! That’s why I brought it. It’s incomparable to the time he was in University Tomorrow.”
The artists who had been in the meeting widened their eyes.
Thinking about it, R.F. was Kang Lim’s pseudonym here.
“What? That’s crazy!”
“This is unbelievable! How did he get in it without even exhibiting!”
The twin brothers became excited.
“Jason, aren’t we going to be a big hit too? We’re next after Kang Lim!”
“Right. It was really a good idea to change the order. His clients will come to us next. Woohoo!”
As the twins exclaimed loudly, Isabelle grabbed the magazine.
She turned a page with trembling fingers.
“…I really like the vibe of this relay solo exhibition.”
When an artist in the same boat creates an issue, the entire exhibition is likely to be continuously discussed.
Everyone’s value rises together.
Ryu Miyeon also smiled faintly at the good news.
‘Kang Lim doesn’t need any extra promotion…’
The ability to make oneself a topic of discussion by oneself. This too is an important quality for a contemporary artist.
Ryu Miyeon looked at Kang Lim with pleased eyes.
Soon, she joined the people and started reading the article.
[Revisiting Da Vinci’s Masterpiece, Salvator Mundi.]
-(Photo) January 11th, at the Western Art Society Symposium held at the Guggenheim Museum.
Joachim Kellen from UDK Berlin, Marcel Leon from Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and David Warner from Oxford in London.
Prominent art scholars gathered to discuss Shin Hansoo’s new book.
The most attention-grabbing topic at the symposium was Shin Hansoo’s claim.
His interpretation that
To discuss this in detail, we interviewed Marcel Leon who attended the event.
Q: Salvator Mundi has always been at the center of controversy. This is the first time I’ve heard of a new interpretation rather than whether it’s a forgery or genuine.
Leon: That’s right. Scholars were favorable about this fresh topic.
I think it will be accepted as a theory if we add the facts claimed by R.F. along with the plates organizing Da Vinci’s works by Shin Hansoo.
It is much more plausible evidence than the claim of forgery.
Q: What part of Salvator Mundi is problematic?
Leon: Although the face in the painting is blurred with the sfumato technique Da Vinci used, the right and left hands holding the orb are drawn with clear outlines.
This has led to the theory that Da Vinci only partially participated, and the claim of forgery has always followed.
Especially since the muscles of the face and neck, and the shape of the left hand are completely anatomically incorrect, it has been more so.
Q: The interpretation of The Last Supper code by R.F. is intriguing. Did Da Vinci actually nail Jesus’ temple?
Leon: You can see the traces if you visit Santa Maria Church. Scholars have accepted that it was used as a vanishing point to match the perspective of the painting, but through R.F., we have gained a completely new interpretation.
Q: So, did Da Vinci commit blasphemy? The Last Supper was made by the order of the Roman papacy.
Leon: It should not be simply viewed as blasphemy. It should be seen in the context of the Renaissance era, which broke away from the Middle Ages.
In the Middle Ages, there was something called an icon, and you had to paint according to iconographic symbols. It was the dark age of art, suppressing the individuality of painters.
Da Vinci can be interpreted as emphasizing the importance of free human will by breaking this.
Also, (as R.F. claimed) this Da Vinci code can be seen as similar to Nietzsche’s concept of the ‘Death of God.’
Q: I know Nietzsche denied God.
Leon: That is a superficial interpretation. Nietzsche’s words do not literally mean that God is dead.
Rather, it should be seen as a critique of the terrible religious wars and the death of innocent citizens, signifying that the truth and philosophy humans believed in had died.
Humans have always ruined the world themselves and blamed God. He hated that weakness.
R.F. also said he believes in a transcendent being. He also said he experienced something scientifically inexplicable as a child.
Q: He is indeed a mysterious artist. Why does he wear a hood then? Does he want to be like Banksy?
Leon: I don’t know about that either. Maybe it’s similar to Da Vinci’s taste for secretly hiding codes from being caught by the Roman market. (Laughs)
It could also mean he doesn’t want to be known first as a critic rather than an artist.
Q: Do you think the value of Salvator Mundi will decrease because of the interpretation that it is Judas’s face?
Leon: No. Rather, the price will skyrocket to a terrifying level at the next auction. Because it will be interpreted that Da Vinci’s philosophy reflected in The Last Supper is applied to it.
Now Da Vinci is the Nietzsche of the 16th century. Or should we now call Nietzsche the Da Vinci of the 18th century? (Laughs)
Q: What was the atmosphere like within the conference hall at that time?
Leon: It was a shockwave. You should have seen the scholars flipping out.
In fact, the most important evidence was the position of the nail driven into the vanishing point… To give it a different meaning, it required proof that one could paint without the vanishing point at the center of the perspective.
And R.F. did it. He drew The Last Supper without the vanishing point.
Shin Hansoo brought a video of R.F. sketching the same composition on a 9-meter blank paper.
It was truly a goosebumps moment.
Because we realized that the nail mark was not merely for perspective!
Q: Using himself as evidence is truly remarkable and cool. So, will R.F. live a life like Da Vinci, a genius painter?
Leon: No. Genius in art doesn’t mean replication skills.
Da Vinci conceived compositions and ideas that previous generations couldn’t.
Even The Last Supper I just mentioned divides into before and after Da Vinci. After that, the halo behind Jesus’s head was gone, and Judas appeared at the table. 18th-century painters were keen on depicting Judas despicably.
Like this, a genius creates new genres and leads trends.
To be equivalent to that, R.F. must bring works that no one has ever seen before.
This generation says all possible art styles have already emerged.
Can R.F. show a new art style and pose questions about human life?
He is an artist whose future activities are highly anticipated.
-Detailed content from the symposium can be found in Shin Hansoo’s new book,
A must-buy book that contains interpretations of all Da Vinci’s works by the talkative artist, and the new codes he discovered.
“Wow!”
“…Is this real? Kang Lim, did you talk to these famous scholars?”
“That’s so cool. A critic and an artist, what a hybrid.”
“Kang Lim, you did it.”
“Congratulations!”
Everyone seemed excited as if they were the ones being praised…
The artists who thoroughly read the magazine shook Kang Lim’s shoulders.
The enthusiastic cheers were so intense that his head was ringing.
‘Indeed, Professor Shin Hansoo has a huge impact… He’s truly the king of Amazon. If he becomes a grandfather, won’t he be as famous as Gombrich?’
Just as he was thinking that, Seoyeon said with a bright smile.
“Kang Lim, your preview exhibition will be a hit. Won’t the auction house go wild? The timing is perfect!”
Sure enough…
The next day, Seoyeon’s words came true.
