Episode 137: Interaction
Michelle and Alphonso were reading the report submitted by Kang Lim.
[In 2003, a CNN correspondent reported live from the scene of the Iraq invasion.
The opportunity to watch a live broadcast of a war! People were curious and gathered in front of their TVs.
It was footage no one had ever seen before.
However, the released footage was so shaky that the images were unrecognizable.
Only the military camouflage green and brown colors appeared vaguely.
So, were people disappointed by the footage that had no evidence of being in a war zone?
No. Instead, they cheered.
The uncertain images brought those safe at home to the battlefield.
Ironically, the blurry images provided an intense sense of reality.
The urgency that they couldn’t film objectively gave the footage credibility.
I, too, considered how to make the audience feel a futuristic reality through this performance video.
I also thought about how to include people who didn’t actually participate in the performance… ]
Michelle compared the video and document created by Kang Lim.
The clarity in the delivery stood out.
“As expected… Just like when he was a critic, he’s excellent at analyzing and conveying the intention behind his work. He’s good at both, just like Hito Steyerl. Kang Lim is a unique artist.”
“Yeah. He filmed it like this on purpose. Just because it’s heavily edited doesn’t mean it has good meaning. What’s important is not the technique but amplifying the intention of the work.”
The video submitted by Kang Lim was in the format of a four-split CCTV screen.
In the corner of the left screen, a countdown of the 4-hour performance time was displayed.
“He pre-installed cameras on the four walls of a square exhibition hall and focused on the roles of the four performers.”
“Yeah. I particularly like the screen that shows the space widely centered on the performer with exposed eyes. The audience watching this…”
As Alphonso trailed off, Michelle looked him in the eye and answered simultaneously.
“Becomes the master and the observer of this room.”
A strange shiver ran up the professors’ arms.
Alphonso took a small breath and said,
“He made it so that even those who didn’t participate could become part of the performance by watching the video.”
“Yes. He’s really meticulous. He seems to enjoy playing with numbers like da Vinci.”
“Hahaha. Have we ever seen such an interesting student?”
“Indeed. He has talent in performance art.”
As performance art inherently involves temporality, it has a close relationship with media art.
Most performances are recorded on video.
Michelle could clearly feel the intention Kang Lim had embedded in the screen.
Despite submitting it quickly without editing, there was no better way to encapsulate the digitized death.
Alphonso slowly turned his head to look out the window.
A subtle lingering feeling remained.
“…People want to live on in someone’s memory even after death. A future where we can live forever in pre-stored data might really come.”
“Yes. It was good work.”
Michelle thought of Kang Lim with a faint smile.
That evening, Kang Lim and his team members entered Baudouin’s private dormitory.
They decided to have a party to celebrate the end of the semester and cook some food.
Melissa was surprised at how clean the house was, her mouth wide open.
“Wow! It’s surprisingly well organized! It doesn’t feel like Baudouin’s place! Did you expect us to come over?”
Melissa tapped Baudouin’s shoulder and looked at him.
His appearance had become much cleaner over the past few weeks.
After shaving neatly and cutting his hair, he looked quite handsome.
“I did all this. Now, I’m a proper human.”
As Baudouin laughed awkwardly, Shin Taemin answered on his behalf.
He nodded proudly.
“Come to think of it, Taemin, you haven’t been smoking lately either. It looks like you two have come to a proper agreement.”
Kang Lim chuckled as he opened a bag of groceries.
He was helping Melissa prepare the food Seoyeon wanted to eat.
Seeing the fresh vegetables and meats filled him with confidence.
‘I’ll show you the skills honed from 10 years of cooking in the military and living alone.’
A little later, as the delicious smell spread throughout the room, Shin Taemin sniffed the air.
The team members laughed at him, asking if he was still suffering from the aftereffects of the performance.
“Try this first. It will warm your heart!”
Melissa ladled some consommé into a bowl.
A clear soup made by simmering vegetables and meat.
Though it had been strained several times to be transparent, it had a rich and deep flavor.
“Thank you for the food.”
Seoyeon held the bowl of consommé with both hands.
Feeling its warm heat, the fragrant herb scent wafted up.
She took a sip along with the floating bay leaves.
The soft soup slid down her throat, warming her stomach.
“Wow… It’s delicious!”
“Haha. I’m glad. I was worried since I haven’t made it in a while.”
Melissa then sliced the chateaubriand and served it to the team members.
Juices flowed from the thick beef tenderloin.
Kang Lim took a bite of her steak.
The outside was crispy, but the inside was moist and tender; it was fantastic.
Dipping it in the cream sauce made of butter and egg yolk, it melted in his mouth.
“Wow. You’ve cooked it perfectly. It’s the best steak I’ve ever had. The sauce is also delicious.”
Seoyeon nodded vigorously at Kang Lim’s words.
“Me too! It completely melts!”
“Hehe. Entre à point et bien cuit! That’s just right for me. Kang Lim helped very well.”
“Indeed, medium-cooked is the best.”
The team enjoyed their meal in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
Though they had wiped off all their makeup, the spray color in their hair remained.
Only Melissa, who originally had red hair, seemed comfortable without having to dye it.
“Come to think of it, I’m naturally gifted! I’m tall like a model, have red hair, and lots of freckles, which makes me unique, right?”
“There were many people who said Melissa was the most impressive. Your voice was completely like a cyborg, which was fascinating. Also, the way you walked looked like you were underwater.”
Melissa burst into laughter at Kang Lim’s compliment.
She spoke while putting a piece of French-style potato pancake made by Kang Lim into her mouth.
“Thank you. Kang Lim, you were also impressive. The blue hair surprisingly suited you.”
A pancake made of finely grated and julienned potatoes.
The surface was golden brown, and the inside had a chewy texture.
“Holy! This pancake is amazing! You should try it too.”
Melissa tore a piece of the pancake with clean chopsticks and handed it to Baudouin.
The mozzarella cheese inside stretched out.
“Oh… It’s very savory with a variety of textures. It’s like a painting with mixed textures.”
Baudouin closed his eyes and chewed the pancake.
The Emmental cheese on the surface melted on his tongue, fitting his taste perfectly.
“I usually cook spicy food, but I made something simple because I thought Melissa and Baudouin wouldn’t be able to eat it.”
“Indeed… This is my style. I can’t eat spicy food. But isn’t it cheating to be good at cooking too?”
“Sigh. Indeed, it seems like he’s the perfect groom.”
Seoyeon shook her head at Kang Lim’s words.
That shamelessness wouldn’t change no matter which country he went to.
“But why are you saying that to me?”
“Huh, when did I? You really have a princess complex.”
“What? You just looked at me.”
As Kang Lim and Seoyeon bickered, Shin Taemin finished his bowl cleanly.
Eating more instead of chatting was more beneficial.
That’s how to survive in the wild.
“I want to try Kang Lim’s spicy food too! I’ll apply for an exchange program at Hanye University, so please cook for me when I visit Korea! Let’s all meet again!”
Melissa poured beer for the team members and proposed a toast.
As the clean beer slid down their throats, the atmosphere grew livelier.
With flushed faces, the team members began talking about their plans.
Shin Taemin announced he had been selected for a solo exhibition at the Bonaparte Gallery in Paris, and Baudouin said he would be interning at a fashion magazine runway.
As everyone was building solid careers, Kang Lim naturally looked forward to future exhibitions with them.
Seoyeon was surprised to learn that the primitive man she saw at the auction was Shin Taemin’s self-portrait.
She congratulated him, saying she thought it was familiar.
She also praised Baudouin’s clothes, suggesting he should definitely include them in his portfolio when applying for a job at a fashion company.
Baudouin said he couldn’t do that as he had adapted the designs from Kang Lim’s sketches.
Seoyeon didn’t know this fact as she hadn’t attended the meetings.
“No way. I drew the initial illustrations, but they changed a lot from that. The designs for the four outfits are all different. It’s your work, Baudouin, so you should definitely include it in your portfolio.”
“Wow. Really? Thank you! It will be great for my career.”
“Then, I’m happy too. When I hold a solo exhibition at Barbara Gallery, please lend them to me once more.”
Baudouin beamed at Kang Lim’s request.
It was a chance to work with an artist at the largest private gallery in Germany.
It was a stroke of luck for him.
“Ah, of course. I always wanted to work as an assistant at a famous artist’s studio, so this is perfect. You can’t gain such experience anywhere.”
Melissa and Shin Taemin nodded.
Assisting artists teaches one a lot.
Observing the artist’s planning ideas and helping with the production is a valuable experience.
“Yes! Why are you even asking? Melissa also wants to act again!”
“Yeah. I’ll help with the painting too.”
Kang Lim was surprised by their voluntary participation.
Even if Barbara Gallery provided assistants, it would be hard to find people with such talent, so he was grateful.
“Thank you, Melissa. I was wondering who could make the mechanical sounds and perform such acts.”
“Haha. It’s nothing.”
“Thank you too, Taemin. But aren’t you too busy to help when you have a solo exhibition? The Bonaparte Gallery is a great place.”
“It’s alright. I’m just presenting my existing works. The curator will be busy, not me.”
“Damn.”
Baudouin burst into laughter and opened another beer.
Since enrolling, he felt like everything was falling into place.
On such fulfilling days, one should eat and drink to the fullest.
“Alright! Let’s have another drink, comrades!”
As their glasses clinked, Seoyeon and Kang Lim drank water.
Melissa asked if they were feeling unwell and suggested they go to bed early if they were tired.
Kang Lim signaled to Seoyeon with his eyes, asking for her opinion.
Her response was a look indicating they needed to leave early.
“Sorry, but we need to wrap up early.”
“Huh? Why?”
Baudouin, with his nose red like Rudolph, looked disappointed.
Shin Taemin had been asleep for a while, wrapped in a blanket.
“Haha. We have to leave for Italy tomorrow, so we can’t drink much.”
“Italy~. Why are you going there? For pizza?”
“No. We need to check on the pieces for the Venice Biennale.”
Melissa and Baudouin’s eyes widened simultaneously.
Kang Lim’s words sobered them up immediately.
“Running into Sarah Burton while going to the bathroom… It’s still unbelievable.”
Kang Lim was reflecting on the events of the previous day on the plane.
As Seoyeon had said, after finishing the performance and removing their makeup, they ran into Sarah.
She said she had been waiting at the gate but came to find them because they didn’t come out.
“Yeah. I was surprised too. Honestly, when the chief designer of Alexander McQueen showed up, I wondered why she came here.”
“Really? I wasn’t surprised by her appearance.”
“Oh… Why?”
“Many famous people attended that day. William Carter was there too. I thought he wouldn’t come back after being rejected for an exclusive contract… It seems he’s a bit obsessed with you.”
“Oh, that guy.”
Kang Lim recalled meeting Carter at school.
The look on his face, wanting to be recognized, was quite overwhelming.
“…Come to think of it, everyone was wearing masks, so I couldn’t see who was there except me.”
“Maybe it’s for the best. If the robot performers were disturbed, the audience’s immersion could be broken.”
“True. If Baudouin had seen Sarah, it would have been a big deal. She’s the person he respects the most.”
Kang Lim checked the invitation Sarah had given him.
It was a request to attend Fashion Week as Alexander McQueen’s muse.
This was what had surprised Seoyeon.
“This is real. Alexander McQueen has never used an Asian as a muse. We should dress well from now on.”
“Ha. That’s a lot of pressure.”
“It’s okay. The personal shopper will send you clothes, so just wear them. And you’ll do well even if you choose your own outfits, right? You got compliments on the clothes you wore last time.”
“Phew… Anyway, if I can get close to her, it would be great to introduce her to Baudouin.”
Seoyeon smiled at Kang Lim.
The reason Sarah chose him as a muse was simple.
It was to lay the groundwork for future collaborations.
“Don’t worry. She probably came because she liked you. My uncle also started like that and later worked on collaborations with brands. You’ll be like that too, Kang Lim.”
“…Really? I didn’t know it worked this way. So, I should get ideas while watching the show.”
“That’s right. Let’s work hard this time. I’m curious to see how many followers we have now. Check it out!”
At Sarah’s request, Kang Lim had created an SNS account.
Seoyeon had naturally agreed to film and upload his official activities.
“Hey. Who would know about it since I just made it yesterday?”
With little expectation, Kang Lim opened the app.
However, it seemed like his phone was broken.
