Episode 84: Woof Woof
After the explosive burst of camera flashes subsided, quite some time had passed.
Kang Lim looked at the curator sitting next to him at the table.
This person was attending in place of the director.
Ryu Miyeon decided to watch the opening from the planning office.
She avoided media exposure and wished for Kang Lim to receive full attention.
The curator carried out the interview calmly.
Not once did she blink her eyes at the flashes.
‘As expected, her experience shows. I need to learn that too.’
Kang Lim also kept a calm expression.
The eyes of the cameras filling the front row, the large lenses began to feel familiar.
As he answered the reporters’ questions a few times, his voice and demeanor became more natural.
‘Is it because it’s a major art museum? The formal opening is long… I wonder if people aren’t getting bored…’
Maybe because of the lavish catering and abundance of food.
Fortunately, there was no one who seemed bored yet.
‘Those people must be the ones who posted on portal sites, right?’
He noticed some audience members taking pictures of him with their smartphones.
Their raised lips and sparkling eyes.
The people who seemed as happy as if they were seeing a celebrity were mostly faces he had seen at Baekyeon Gallery.
‘This time, there are certainly a lot of elderly people… Is it because of the natural scenery? Or maybe I’ve become famous enough for even the elderly to know.’
Among the clustered people, he saw his parents.
As always, they were smiling proudly.
Other people also seemed to have gathered with their family members.
It was even better to see people of all ages, men and women, attending.
“For the last question, I’d like to ask the curator. It must not have been easy to entrust a long-term exhibition project to a rookie artist. How was that process? Weren’t you worried?”
The curator chuckled at the reporter’s question.
It was a question Ryu Miyeon had anticipated.
“I will relay what our director said verbatim.”
“Yes, that would be even better.”
“‘Heyum is a combination of the dialect “heum,” which means “to swim,” and the pure Korean word “hyeyum,” which means “to think.” It implies that in the sensory world depicted by the artist, the audience swims and comes to think anew about the world. In that sense, Kang Lim is a perfect match for Heyum. Since he was selected as the project artist, not once did we feel uneasy due to his rookie status. Rather, we are confident that Kang Lim’s philosophy and artistic world will lead you into a sea of thought.’ That’s what he said.”
The curator checked the time.
It was time to open the exhibition hall.
“We will conclude the interview here.”
Possibly because the interview had ended, this answer was met with applause.
When the reporter opened his mouth again, the applause cooled down…
“For the very last question, I’d like to ask the artist. Is there a specific way to view this exhibition, any particular points to focus on?”
When Kang Lim took the microphone, the audience, who had been glaring at the reporter, softened their gazes.
The artist’s voice was always pleasant to hear.
“I believe a good exhibit unifies the space, the paintings, and the viewers. The key point of this exhibition is your heart. One tip I can offer is that the stones installed in the exhibition hall are chairs. I hope you sit and enjoy comfortably. Also, photography is allowed for this exhibition.”
When the interview ended, a fervent cheer erupted again.
Curious about the stone chairs, people moved while holding their leaflets.
At the entrance stood a guide.
It was Seoyeon, looking great in her suit.
‘Why isn’t the line getting shorter?’
Shin Hansoo was still lingering near the exit.
He had been waiting for a long time but still hadn’t gotten in.
No matter how many people there were, it was odd.
The museum was large enough that the entrance shouldn’t be blocked.
It was an exceedingly strange situation.
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve had to wait this long for an artist.’
Tick-tock.
Shin Hansoo became sensitive enough to hear the ticking of his wristwatch.
Click-clack.
With each step forward, his expectations grew.
After a while, he finally entered the exhibition hall, only to be blocked by a partition wall.
Before entering the main exhibition room, there was a passage with an introductory text explaining the works.
‘A basic element of planning. If you see the artwork immediately upon entering, there’s no pause before diving into another world.’
As Shin Hansoo passed through the passage, he read the introduction written by Seoyeon.
It explained the artist’s intentions and gradually immersed the viewer in the works.
Since the invention of the camera, it’s rare for artists to rely on direct observation rather than photographic references, making this method seem somewhat foolish.
However, it allowed Kang Lim to capture the reality of nature.
The reason can be found in the artist’s words.
[When I reach the summit and take a photo, the awe is gone, leaving only the dead forest and mountaineering gear shrouded in a hazy mist.]
Cameras distort reality more than they capture it, unable to convey subjective psychology and physiological responses.
Thus, the landscape Kang Lim reconstructs is not a superficial, visible two-dimensional world but a three-dimensional one capturing human emotions and the mysterious space of nature.
Interestingly, this work is a large piece composed of many smaller fragments.
The leaflet given to the audience is also one of these pieces.
Coincidentally, the artist’s name, Lim (林), means forest.
By entering the forest gifted by the artist, you are invited to become a part of the painting.
This experience is an intimate communion with the artist.
.
.
.
A total of over 1,000 pieces come together to form one massive work.
Though divided into 20 chapters, the artist plans to mix and combine the pieces without fixed boundaries.
During the exhibition period, the painting will gradually change according to the sequence designated by the artist.
If painting is about making a moment eternal, Kang Lim has created another flow of time within that eternity.
A musical-like art piece.
The performance shown on the opening reception day solidifies this concept.
Just as 88 piano keys create infinite music, the artist will demonstrate that these fragments can transform into infinite images.
The changing artwork and performance will all be recorded on video.
Kang Lim’s artist notes are written on the exhibition hall’s floor, and detailed explanations are available on the Heyum website.
‘Incorporating performance concepts into painting, except for live drawing, is a first. He always does unique work.’
Shin Hansoo was impressed by Kang Lim’s creativity.
What kind of education could produce such works?
It was an unfathomable realm.
After the introduction, he entered the exhibition hall…
He instantly understood why the line hadn’t moved.
People, overwhelmed by the scene before them, were blocking the entrance.
So stunned by the shocking artwork, they barely heard the guide’s request to keep moving.
People needed some firm guidance to start moving slowly.
Their dazed expressions and craned necks.
Shin Hansoo was one of them.
He slowly walked into the painting.
‘To place such a painting right at the front.’
What greeted him upon entering was a gigantic panorama of a summit.
The mystical sea of clouds, which is hard to see from Baekundae.
The damp mist rose and enveloped his entire body.
The graceful ridges of the mountains peeking through the clouds reminded him of the sea.
The serene sea of clouds was almost within his grasp.
In the midst of it, a sun rose…
A thrilling sensation climbed up his spine.
‘A painting that perfectly blends into the space…’
A colossal piece, two meters tall, stretched endlessly.
This dramatic event was reflected on the glass floor.
Even the sunlight streaming through the transparent dome shimmered, making the reflected summit ripple.
Just as the sky reflected on a clear sea can cause an illusion of flight, making it hard to distinguish between sea and sky.
Just like a pilot who can’t trust his altimeter, Shin Hansoo couldn’t trust his own eyes.
The unprecedented visual experience shocked his cognitive abilities, and he walked like a fool.
Cautiously, as if walking on water, afraid of falling through the clouds.
The reflected painting created a single horizon…
Rocks that resembled majestic cliffs floated above the clouds.
People, seemingly drained of energy, collapsed onto the strange rocks.
Under their feet, the artist’s notes were written.
[The mountain seems to be a hardened desert, the desert a softened sea, and the sea a melted mountain.
Nature resembles each other and continuously circulates.
Is the only way to remain unchanged to keep changing?
When you quietly observe nature, you find yourself standing at a point where boundaries disappear.]
Though the artist’s words were complex, the audience understood them with their entire bodies.
They felt the majesty and awe of nature itself.
This was a landscape steeped in Kang Lim’s deep contemplation.
Overwhelmed by the grandeur, Shin Hansoo sat on a rock for a long time.
‘The delicate misty clouds, layered with thin washes, convey the moisture in the air… The mountain ridges emerging through them, the broad-leaved trees are painted with rhythmic brushstrokes, dancing.’
As he slowly appreciated the painting, he began to notice things he hadn’t seen before.
‘This isn’t a view from Baekundae’s summit. It wasn’t painted from a fixed location with a single viewpoint.’
Kang Lim’s summit included the southern Mangyeongdae, the eastern Insubong, and the highest Baekundae, encompassing the entire Samgaksan mountain. Even the distant Obong and Jaunbong of Dobongsan were visible, creating a non-existent landscape.
‘It’s a multiple viewpoint, combining views from various peaks.’
Shin Hansoo opened his notebook.
Since it was a piece he liked, he needed to examine it closely and jot down what was necessary for his critique.
‘The scattered rocks in the center are a masterstroke. Because of them, even with free movement, people don’t bump into each other. He cleverly used the structure of the Orangerie Museum.’
When large artworks are hung in an oval exhibition hall, people who want to view the entire painting step back.
People converge on the central hall’s seats, reducing those walking beside the paintings, preventing collisions during free viewing.
‘Using natural light from the dome as illumination is also excellent. When the sunset comes, the painting will be tinged, making the sun in the painting look like a sunset rather than a sunrise. It will transform mysteriously and beautifully according to the light.’
Shin Hansoo stood up and walked back towards the entrance.
Even though the exhibit was perfect so far, he wanted to carefully review the placement order.
‘Great works turn everyone into critics.’
Good works allow people to enjoy them on their own and ask various questions.
In that process, the work gains infinite meaning.
Kang Lim’s paintings were like that.
As viewers walked along the paintings, they talked about their impressions.
They weren’t just seeing; they were already inside the paintings.
“This is the Hidden Wall course! It’s worth all the hiking.”
“Indeed, this is the Bibong course. There’s even a Bear Rock chair back there?”
“The hiking routes are laid out in order. The courses are mixed, but the elevation rises from low to high.”
“No wonder… When I reached the summit and returned to the entrance, it felt like descending. Haha.”
“When I reached the summit, I could feel the excitement of climbing up and the feeling of cooling down from sweating.”
Shin Hansoo also walked back from the entrance.
As people said, it felt like climbing a mountain.
‘After passing the circular trail, the path gradually becomes steeper.’
Perhaps depicting the aftermath of a typhoon, many trees had their roots exposed.
The tenacity of life. He was careful not to trip over the vigorous brushstrokes.
When one chapter of the landscape ended, the pieces scattered.
The low-saturation colors of fallen leaves. The sound of crunching leaves underfoot.
The dryness continued into a forest of bare branches.
Rocks drawn by repeatedly rubbing off moisture.
Passing by the frozen valley, the museum’s glass floor seemed about to crack.
A steep uphill path. A section where one must rely on a wire to walk.
The sheer cliffs were drawn from a looking-up perspective.
The powerful brushstrokes sweeping down the rock surfaces without hesitation.
The dynamic texture was so lifelike it was fearsome.
‘Such exquisite touches. If you look at just one piece, it seems more like a collection of color stains or traces than a depiction of something… But when these come together as a whole, the mental image drawn by the landscape becomes clear. Up close, it’s abstract, but from afar, it’s representational.’
While appreciating Kang Lim’s distinctive signature style…
He overheard a question that caught his attention.
“Why is there a dog? There are no people, but there are occasional dogs.”
“Isn’t it a hiking guide dog? A cute point.”
“But the woof woof seems somewhat sad…”
Shin Hansoo also stopped and looked at the dog in the painting.
It did look sad but also wary.
It seemed highly alert.
‘Could it be…’
Seoyeon was informing the audience of something important.
“Detailed explanations are available on the Heyum website. In 10 minutes, there will be a performance by the artist.”
Startled by Seoyeon’s words, an audience member asked.
“Oh, thank you. But does the painting change after the performance?”
“Yes, it does.”
“Gosh, I want to see more of this. I’ve only been viewing for an hour, so it’s a shame.”
Seoyeon smiled and answered.
“Don’t worry. This scenery will return after the performance. It’s just a brief preview of how the painting will change in the future.”
People’s curiosity grew even more.
