Episode 78: Freedom
As they passed through the building entrance, they saw boxwood and pine trees.
Kang Lim admired the comforting shadows cast by the green trees.
He stepped on the stone stairs that ran through the small garden.
The garden was unpretentious and cozy.
The modest-sized art museum was built with grayish-white bricks.
Though the color seemed indifferent, it blended naturally with the surroundings.
The traditional building material, granite, added sturdiness and tranquility.
“Sketching the exterior already… Well, the building itself is part of the exhibition plan.”
Seo Yeon was drawing the building from outside.
Kang Lim secretly peeked at her sketchbook from behind.
- The ridgeline of the stairs climbing the building resembles Inwangsan Mountain.
- The building, constructed without leveling the sloped ground, embodies the naturalness depicted by Kim Whanki.
- If the building had been ostentatious, it wouldn’t have matched his pure form elements.
The art museum, named after an artist, expresses its spirit starting from the building itself.
This is the interpretation of architectural elements that Gu Haeyoung desires.
“Everything is correct. Then, shall I start sketching the interior?”
Kang Lim smiled slightly and entered the exhibition hall.
Lee Hyunseong quickly followed, suggesting they go together.
There were no detailed explanations about the artworks in the museum.
Only a brief history recording the life journey of the artist was present.
“I guess they intend to speak entirely through the paintings.”
Kang Lim entered the first-floor exhibition hall.
The curator had not even attached captions indicating the title or size of the artworks.
It seemed they wanted visitors to feel the poetic lyricism conveyed by the pieces.
“The first floor mainly exhibits Kim Whanki’s early works.”
A background imbued with the blue of dawn just before daybreak.
There was a moon jar drawn with simple lines.
The thick plum branches cutting through the static screen added a peculiar vitality.
“The restrained beauty of omission, not replicating the objects as they are, is exquisite. He has used a lot of blue since the old days.”
Kim Whanki’s early works are simplified paintings of cranes, plum blossoms, and moon jars.
Oil paint shows different textures depending on the touch used and the medium mixed. These works are rough.
As if ground from traditional stone powder, they exude a Korean sentiment.
Even small sketches drawn on notes or newspapers were all displayed.
They depicted the process of concrete forms gradually becoming abstract.
Traces of countless experiments and contemplation…
The exhibition showed how many years had passed until his prime pointillist works emerged.
“Because the exhibition shows the entire process of the artwork development following Kim Whanki’s life, it doesn’t feel unfriendly due to the lack of explanations. If there had been captions, the exhibition hall would have looked messy instead.”
In the corridor leading to the next exhibition hall, the artist’s diary was written.
[Art is neither philosophy nor aesthetics. It exists like the sky, sea, mountains, and rocks. Think of the time before the concept of flowers or the name ‘flower’ existed. It’s just a vague abstraction. - October 8, 1978]
“Neat serif font. The curator must have selected one of the many writings recorded by Kim Whanki. Since he was also a poet, there must have been a lot of writings.”
The exhibition hall had walls close to nothingness, white.
The lights were far from the paintings, so it didn’t feel like the lights were on.
It was truly serene.
The only thing exerting power was the paintings.
Kang Lim paused for a moment to sketch the interior structure.
With a square courtyard in the middle, several exhibition halls faced each other.
“Even the walls with openings in the opposite corridors are all square… The ceiling with lights is also square… It feels like being inside a box.”
After finishing the sketch, he moved to the third-floor exhibition hall.
There was a small window on the stairs going up.
Natural light entered the exhibition hall.
A subtle sense of ascension towards the light was felt.
[Always think. Think about what you don’t know. - October 6, 1969]
The moment he read the last phrase written in the hallway and entered the third-floor exhibition hall.
Goosebumps rose.
If there is something called sublimity, this must be it.
“Even noisy Lee Hyunseong quietly following says it all.”
The third-floor exhibition hall had a dome shape.
Upon entering, you could see a part of Inwangsan Mountain through a narrow window, and encounter Kim Whanki’s prime works.
They were painted in New York, ten years before he passed away.
Countless dots were continuously stamped…
The paint pressed along the circular curve seemed to move.
The night sky of the Milky Way naturally came to mind.
The life force and strong lyricism emitted by the artwork made the heart race.
Shin Taemin was sitting in the middle of the exhibition hall, staring blankly at the painting.
The chair had no patterns or colors.
Lee Hyunseong also sat beside him and spoke.
“Wow, I once complained about an abstract painting with drawn dots costing 10 billion won, but seeing it in person is mind-blowing. It must be 3 meters tall? You really need to see it big.”
Kang Lim shook his head and said. It’s not simply because it’s big.
“Didn’t you see the exhibition from the first floor… It’s not an abstract painting drawn easily. How much would he have removed and removed again over the years? The last remaining pure star.”
“What are you talking about, it’s so hard to understand.”
“He abandoned the positions of Dean of Hongik University and Director of the Art Association. He went to the U.S. to find true painting; everyone called it a gamble.”
“Sigh, I guess artists dislike a stable life.”
“Anyway, isn’t it fascinating that he did such serene work when avant-garde artists like Nam June Paik and Andy Warhol were overflowing?”
“It is. If it were me, I would have felt left behind. I saw earlier that what’s important is the poetic spirit. Some phrase like that… He must have his own philosophy.”
“Yeah. Look at the paintings carefully. This is an abstract painting only an Oriental could conceive. The idea is unique.”
Shin Taemin, who was quietly meditating, perked up his ears.
“…In what way?”
“Who uses oil paint like that? Western painting is originally about layering on paper. But Kim Whanki mixed it thinly so that it kept sinking below the canvas, going under the paper. The world of negative space is a characteristic of the East.”
“Ha, you can interpret it that way too.”
Shin Taemin was impressed by Kang Lim’s critique.
However, Kang Lim didn’t interpret it.
He just felt it because he had also painted with that mindset.
“Even the same blue has different shades depending on the concentration and how many layers overlap. The countless dots create a mysterious rhythm. Though the painting is very static, if you look closely, you can hear the sound of a song.
This painting is not dead but living cell particles. This is what ‘Whanki Blue’ is. The blue only Kim Whanki can produce.”
Lee Hyunseong and Shin Taemin’s eyes were again filled with the painting.
What do those countless dots represent?
The natural order of time? The truth of the universe? The breath of nature?
Whatever it is, the painting makes one ponder.
Shin Taemin said to Kang Lim.
“Why don’t you try art criticism? I think you’d be good at it.”
“What criticism.”
“I’m serious. My father is an art critic, so I know well. Write a book and publish it.”
“No thanks, I’m not interested. I don’t have much talent either.”
“No, you do have talent. My father is Professor Shin Hansoo, and if I tell him about you, he’ll be surprised.”
Lee Hyunseong was the one who was rather surprised by Shin Taemin’s words.
“What, what? Who did you say your father is? Is this guy a rich kid?”
When Lee Hyunseong stammered, Shin Taemin chuckled.
Looking sideways, Kang Lim also had a surprised expression.
Of course, he wasn’t surprised because he didn’t know that fact.
Had he ever talked about himself this much… Is it the effect of fairy tales?
He felt a sense of bonding.
“…‘It feels like the whole universe is empty just because one person is gone.’ I remember Kim Hyangan’s words. It’s so wonderful that she established the art museum to honor her husband. I want to experience such love too.”
Students analyzed the exhibition in their own ways.
The characteristics of the building seen from outside, the order of the paintings in each exhibition hall, the natural position of the lighting, the impressions from the writings of the artist, and even personal life stories…
Gu Haeyoung nodded while listening to the presentations.
In fact, it was said to be an assignment, but the important thing was to see and feel rather than the result.
They did well enough, which was admirable.
‘At this point, there should be nothing more to come out…’
Gu Haeyoung looked at the last drawing submitted by a student.
It was a work that meticulously sketched every corner of the exhibition hall.
It was so realistic that one could understand the entire internal structure.
With this level of skill, it was obvious who it was.
“Is this last drawing submitted by Kang Lim?”
“Yes.”
“If there are more analyses, come out and present.”
Contrary to Gu Haeyoung’s expectation that there would be nothing more to present, Kang Lim stood up from his seat.
With an expression as if it was obvious.
He walked out, fixed his sketch on the whiteboard, and pointed to it.
The students burst out in exclamations.
It felt like walking through the exhibition hall again, from the entrance to the third floor.
“Whoa, ease up a bit.”
“How can he produce such high quality in just a few hours?”
“It wasn’t a relaxing class at all…”
The students grumbled, but in fact, they enjoyed having classes with Kang Lim.
The unique works and interpretations couldn’t be heard anywhere else.
Pointing to his second sketch, Kang Lim said.
“Most of the presentations have covered everything, so I’ll just say one thing.”
When the students laughed, he continued speaking.
“The biggest feature of this building is that it surrounds a square courtyard in the middle, with exhibition halls around it. There is no fixed entrance, so you can see several doors leading to the exhibition hall.
The curator made good use of this structure, hanging representative works visible through the doors. They hung the paintings in the same proportion as the entrance.
Thanks to this, people decide their viewing route by seeing the paintings through the door gaps. They go towards the more enticing works.”
The students nodded.
Come to think of it, art museums usually have fixed directions for entering and exiting, but this place didn’t.
“Although the exhibition halls are divided into sections, they don’t restrict the viewing route. Visitors choose freely. It feels like circling around the square courtyard, choosing where to go.
This is similar to the artist’s painting. It’s just like the countless dots stamped in the square frames rotating.”
The students’ eyes widened.
They had felt that the building resembled the painting, but it was just a feeling.
The secret seemed to be sorted out.
Gu Haeyoung smiled and said.
“Excellent. An interesting interpretation. Any questions?”
A student raised a hand.
“Kang Lim, how is your solo exhibition at Heyum coming along? What are you working on this time?”
All the students burst into laughter.
It was nonsense for a college student to receive such a question.
But… Kang Lim’s expression was unusual.
His pupils sank black, and his skin turned pale. Did he realize something he had forgotten?
Kang Lim was chewing over his own words.
“A museum that doesn’t restrict the viewing route… Then, is it necessary to divide the sections?”
With an intensified heartbeat, he felt a strange queasiness.
Kang Lim tore off all the sketches attached with empty eyes.
As the sketches fluttered to the ground.
He quickly picked up a marker and began drawing.
The students got noisy seeing Kang Lim drawing frantically like a madman.
What is he doing, suddenly? What building is that? It looks familiar…
Questions burst out here and there.
Seo Yeon was the first to recognize the drawing.
Goosebumps rose from her spine.
Kang Lim was drawing Heyum from memory.
“If I could round out the sharp corners of Heyum…”
Kang Lim set up partition walls to make the square museum round.
Looking at Seo Yeon among the students with a questioning expression if it was possible.
She swallowed and slowly nodded.
“If that’s possible, I will hang just one painting.”
Hanging just one piece in a space over several hundred square meters.
Is he trying to challenge the Guinness Book with the largest painting?
The students couldn’t understand what he meant.
They couldn’t imagine such a large-scale work from someone who had been working in a small studio.
As if reading everyone’s thoughts, Kang Lim said.
“800 pieces will come together to form one artwork.”
