Episode 128: Free Time
During lunchtime, Kang Lim was refining the ordered wood.
Since the cutting was already done, he just needed to fix the trimmed pieces to the wall as they were.
“As expected… There are a lot of marks from the nails and staples. The wall is full of scars.”
Kang Lim took down Shin Taemin’s painting that had been hanging and filled in the holes on the wall.
The partition wall was in charge of students’ mini-exhibitions, so there were many marks from hanging artworks.
He neatly tidied it up with white paint that matched the color of the wall.
“Even if it’s just a project presentation, I should do it properly.”
After a while, a grid-patterned shelf appeared on the once-empty inner wall of the partition.
Kang Lim neatly arranged digital clocks within the square-shaped frames.
“Wow. You’re already done.”
Seoyeon came to Kang Lim’s studio after her class ended.
Kang Lim, who had been watching the space, turned around at the sound of Seoyeon’s voice.
“You’re here? Have you eaten?”
“Yeah. I brought a sandwich for you because I thought you might be hungry.”
“Thanks.”
“You could have taken it slow… I was going to help you out a bit.”
“Oh, there’s something else you need to help me with.”
“Really? But you’re handling all the exhibition planning?”
“No, it’s hard without assistance. I’m just giving ideas. Writing the preface and setting up should be done with the team.”
Seoyeon smiled as she took out a floor plan of Barbara Gallery.
She needed to organize Kang Lim’s new solo exhibition concept.
“So, tell me some of your ideas. It’s still quite a way off, but you already have it figured out.”
“Well, I haven’t completely finished planning either. It’s just that partitioning the exhibition space will take quite some time, so I thought I should mention it early.”
“Are you planning to divide it into sections?”
“Yeah. The artwork I’m currently making will go into Exhibition Room B.”
Barbara Gallery is the largest private art museum in Germany.
The part Kang Lim was in charge of was the entire front exhibition hall on the first floor.
Even though it was just one floor, it was a massive scale.
“This seems like the biggest exhibition I’ve ever done.”
“Right. It’s a huge exhibition. Let me know if you need any assistants.”
“Wow… Does that kind of support come with it?”
“Yeah. Barbara will take care of it. Director Franz seems to really like you.”
Kang Lim calculated the exact dimensions on the floor plan and divided the exhibition hall into three sections: A, B, and C.
Seoyeon was surprised by how long the last section was.
“Wow… What are you planning to display in the last section?”
“I’m planning to use a beam projector in Exhibition Room C, so it doesn’t need any lighting, it just needs to be empty. The room needs to be extremely long horizontally.”
“Wow. Is it a video artwork? You seem to be trying a lot of new things these days.”
“I can’t fill such a large exhibition hall with just paintings.”
“True, that’s a good point.”
Kang Lim listed the materials needed for Exhibition Room C. He also mentioned that a soundproof wall must be installed.
Exhibition Room B would contain sound-based artworks.
“It’s natural to divide the exhibition hall if the last part is a video artwork. But why are you dividing Exhibition Room A as well? Are the images of the artworks very different?”
While writing down the exhibition title “Life and Death: At the Beginning and End,” Kang Lim answered.
“Yeah. I want visitors to move sequentially and experience life itself. There are many keywords that can be addressed under the theme of life and death.”
“Oh. The title is really good. It suits you well.”
“Is that so? That’s a relief.”
Kang Lim tapped on the first section and said.
“But, the problem is the A section. I haven’t figured out what artwork to display here yet.”
“Really? I thought you had a special meaning for making that space square.”
“No, when I divided the exhibition hall after deciding on the artworks for sections B and C, it just happened to be a square by coincidence.”
“You said the artwork you’re installing as a project will go into Exhibition Room B, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I thought that shelf was connected to Exhibition Room A because it’s also square?”
“Oh, that’s because the shape of Exhibition Room A divided like that, so I matched it on purpose.”
“I see……”
Seoyeon frowned slightly and pondered.
She thought about Kang Lim’s artworks stored in the repository, wondering if there were any paintings that matched the exhibition theme.
Seeing her, Kang Lim shook his head.
“No, Seoyeon. There’s no painting I’ve done that would fit in Exhibition Room A.”
“Why? Your artworks all share a signature style, so any of them should fit well with the title ‘Beginning and End’.”
“No, they don’t match the other sections I’ve already planned.”
Since Seoyeon hadn’t seen Kang Lim’s completed artworks yet, she nodded in agreement.
If the artist says no, then it’s a no. He must have a clear image in his mind.
Kang Lim circled Exhibition Room C.
“This section needs to definitely give off an ‘end’ feeling, so I’ll put in artwork that creates a quiet and somber mood. Since it’s a space that leaves a lingering impression, I want the first section to be something that stands out. Not lighthearted, though.”
“True, the paintings left in the repository are mostly dark-colored… and have heavy textures.”
“Yeah. I want visitors to see something new and fun the moment they enter. I’ll think more about this.”
“Sure. You have plenty of time. I’ll inform them about the soundproof wall construction in advance.”
Seoyeon organized the floor plan and put it in her bag.
She needed to send the details to the planning team at Barbara Gallery.
Seeing Seoyeon looking busy, Kang Lim asked.
“…Are you leaving already?”
“Yeah. Why? Do you need something?”
“The current artwork I’m making involves audience participation, but since there are no visitors, the students participated. Could you make one too?”
Kang Lim took a clock from the shelf and handed it to Seoyeon.
On the presentation day, students followed Alfonso around the spacious studio.
As in any art school, during critique time, they wandered around the classroom.
“The difference is, it’s hard to tell who’s the professor and who’s the student.”
Just because it’s abroad doesn’t mean the debate culture is well-developed and that professors and students maintain an equal relationship.
Of course, it’s more equal compared to Korea, but it depends on the professor’s personality as well.
“The comfortable learning atmosphere must be due to Professor Alfonso’s uniqueness. We’ve had many outdoor classes and enjoyed them freely…”
Kang Lim watched as the students freely evaluated the artworks.
Since the class included students from first to fifth year, there was a wide range of skills, from beginners to those already working as artists.
However, Alfonso treated everyone as artists, not students.
“Maybe it’s because this class is for those who want to take it… everyone seems very independent.”
Students pointed out what they thought was wrong in the professor’s critique and gave their reasons.
This was quite new to Kang Lim and Shin Taemin.
“Well, there’s no right answer in art, and thoughts can vary.”
The two of them enjoyed the critique scene with curious expressions.
Next up was an exchange student from Spain.
She stepped forward at Alfonso’s request to explain her artwork.
“Hello everyone, I’m Olivia. I chose ‘time’ as my theme.”
Olivia stood in front of a large painting on an unpainted 150-sized white muslin cloth.
Although there was no background, there were bluish spores floating on it.
The tiny spores overlapped with each other, looking like multiplying cells.
The largest net drawn in the middle resembled a jellyfish.
The peculiar thing was that the painting emitted a foul odor.
“Wow… that’s impressive.”
Kang Lim looked around.
Was this kind of attempt always common?
No one seemed shocked or disturbed, though some had covered their noses.
“My mother works in a nursing home. So, I grew up often seeing elderly people. They adored me as a child, and I was very fond of them too. But I was sad when I went the next day, and they weren’t there anymore.”
Olivia pointed to the wrinkled part of the shrinking muslin cloth.
She said she could never forget the texture of the elderly’s fragile skin.
The touch of their hands brushing against her soft cheeks.
“Time can’t be stopped. It always runs forward. I didn’t realize it as a child growing up among the elderly, but some people said this: ‘When you grow old, you’re useless.’ ‘Old people smell.’ Ah… but I don’t know why that statement was so sad. It was completely ingrained in my mind.”
Olivia said she painted the foul-smelling picture recalling that statement.
She wanted to record the beautiful times and memories, despite the smell…
Listening to her explanation, Kang Lim appreciated the flexible spores moving around the bright canvas.
The tiny, floating life forms seemed ready to burst at any moment but were definitely alive.
The main colors were blue and green, with occasional bursts of red. It was a dreamy and beautiful palette.
Olivia added a final explanation.
She wanted to let them know why the painting seemed alive.
“As you might have guessed, this painting is made with lactic acid bacteria. I used various textures of dairy products. I applied them thickly on the surface or diluted them to spray with a spray bottle. I didn’t use any paint; I only wanted to capture the natural colors of mold.”
After Olivia’s presentation, students started a free discussion.
Listening to the back-and-forth conversations, Kang Lim nodded.
Their opinions were similar to his thoughts.
“Right… Since this artwork embodies time itself, the process of mold growing on the painting should have been recorded in photos or videos. If it had been showcased in an exhibition, visitors could see the changing artwork over time, but for a project presentation, it can’t be seen in a moment. But no one seems to consider the aftermath of the presentation. That can’t be the end.”
Olivia took notes of the students’ opinions and acknowledged her mistakes.
Watching her, Kang Lim caught Professor Alfonso’s eye.
Alfonso seemed eager to hear Kang Lim’s critique, as he had been silent for a while, and pointed to him.
“Kang Lim, please join the discussion. It’s an important part of class participation.”
“Yes. Olivia needs to consider one more thing.”
“Good. What is it?”
Kang Lim decided to introduce an artist Olivia could refer to.
There are many contemporary artists who use decaying materials, but a Korean artist came to mind suddenly.
“I think of artist Ibul’s
She decorated the fish scales with colorful beads and artificial flowers in traditional Korean Obang colors. Although the fish appeared beautiful and ornate, they became useless as they decayed.
It was a modern reinterpretation of vanitas, expressing how nothing is of use in the face of time and death.
Of course, Olivia’s artwork doesn’t express ‘the futility of life.’ But it can be seen in a similar theme.”
Alfonso smiled slightly at Kang Lim’s words. His large eyes folded in half with wrinkles.
He also wanted to provide feedback on the precautions and exhibition process when using decaying materials.
Seeing the students’ wide-eyed expressions, Kang Lim continued.
“Artist Ibul’s fish decayed, and the gases from the decomposition caused a fire in the exhibition hall. As a result, the Museum of Modern Art had to remove the artwork quickly. However, this incident itself became part of the work’s disappearance, successfully expressing the futility of life and death.
Olivia needs to consider this point too. Over a much longer period, the mold in the painting will spread, and the shapes of the spores she drew will collapse. Will the painting still be beautiful then? The precise shapes and compositions she drew will disappear, and it might just look like a mass of mold.
Since Olivia wants to express the beautiful memories over time, the artwork might diverge from the original theme. It would be better to experiment more over a longer period.”
When Kang Lim finished speaking, Alfonso nodded.
“Exactly. If you are capturing time, as an artist, you must consider the final stages of the artwork’s transformation. The project presentation is not the end.
Olivia, you should research mold more thoroughly. Microorganisms are not as controllable as you might think. The sprayed areas may be faint now, but who knows what will happen later.
Adjust the concentration well. You might create an even more beautiful painting over time.”
Alfonso didn’t evaluate whether the student did well or poorly in his summary.
He gave advice without stifling the artist’s free imagination.
It was to encourage deeper research.
Agreeing with Alfonso’s words, Kang Lim moved to the next student’s spot.
There was no presenter, and the partition was empty.
“…Where’s Melissa?”
Alfonso and the students looked at the empty seat with confused faces.
While they were looking around blankly for Melissa, Kang Lim chuckled.
He found a note and handed it to the students.
Some students read the words on the paper aloud.
[I chose to express ‘freedom.’ I will not attend today’s presentation!]
At the end of the message was a cheerful smiley face.
When Alfonso put his hand on his forehead and burst out laughing, all the students joined in.
“Melissa is truly incorrigible. I love it! Let’s move on to the next student.”
Wouldn’t one usually get scolded for doing such a thing…?
Kang Lim found it fascinating that Alfonso liked it. He was very fond of this unfamiliar class setting.
He enjoyed exchanging practically helpful advice and viewing works without genre restrictions.
On the other hand, he also felt a longing to return to Korea soon.
He wondered how much the students who received special training from Professor Go Haeyoung had improved… They must be making a splash there too.
“Wow… What on earth is that?”
“They’ve stacked up so much!”
While lost in various thoughts, he heard the students murmuring.
