Episode 85: Circulation
The painting I had seen before looked new every time I saw it.
The textures created by the paint were so diverse that there was no room for boredom.
Some parts were intensely pressed down like an axe strike, while others were delicately tickled like willow leaves.
The brushstrokes embodied both boldness and subtlety.
How many people could depict such a grand mountain so freely?
Given its size would make it to the Guinness Book of Records, it was certainly a painting I had never seen before.
“Oh, the artist is coming!”
“Wow… he looks really young.”
“Indeed, for a twenty-year-old, his strokes are very mature.”
As Kang Lim appeared, the audience cheered.
Walking on the glass reflecting the clouds, he looked like a sage.
Usually, the mystery that a painting exudes tends to be attributed to the artist.
‘Oh, it’s Professor Gerald. When did he arrive?’
Fortunately, Kang Lim did not feel burdened by the people’s attention.
With his peers all seated on the rock, it felt like class time.
When he gave a slightly acknowledging glance, friends who recognized it smiled.
The setup team moved carrying boxes containing large wall pieces and fragments of the painting.
The white partition with wheels stopped in front of the central hall.
Is that going to replace the canvas? People tilted their heads in curiosity.
As Kang Lim stood in front of the wall, the filming crew behind him focused their cameras.
When the OK sign was given, the curator handed him the microphone.
“Hello, thank you all for staying to watch the performance. How did you find today’s exhibition?”
In response to Kang Lim’s greeting, people shared their feelings.
Though various answers were shouted out, everyone had the same expression.
The expression of someone who has just shouted “Yahoo” from a mountaintop.
You could almost feel what they were feeling without them saying it. The people gathered here shared an excited heartbeat.
“Haha. I feel the same as you all. This is my first large-scale exhibition, so I’m surprised and a bit nervous.”
“No way- you’re lying!”
How did they know?
Actually, that was just a line leading to his next statement.
“Ahem, not at all. Now, since I’m nervous… I’d like to invite one member of the audience to help me with the performance. Is there anyone who would like to be the model for my painting?”
An unexpected proposal from Kang Lim.
Among the people looking around cautiously, Lee Hyunseong and Gerald raised their hands first.
With their arms held close to their ears, they waved their hands energetically.
Kang Lim ignored them.
He did not want to collaborate with those two here.
“Uh, the person sitting on the Skull Rock, did you raise your hand?”
A shy middle-aged man who had raised his hand was seen.
At Kang Lim’s question, he wiped his nose and answered in a laid-back voice.
“Yes, that’s right~!”
“Thank you. Could you come forward?”
“Do I just have to stay still?”
“Yes, I’m going to use the fragments of the scenery here to paint your face.”
The man who came forward looked at the box filled with painting fragments and asked.
“Oh my, there are more fragments here. Are these also part of the painting?”
“Yes, when I remove the fragments attached to the wall to draw your face, the space will be empty, right? These are the pieces that will fill in those spaces. Actually, what’s exhibited now are chapters 1 to 14. There are still many paintings that haven’t been displayed yet.”
So even after filling this huge exhibition hall, there wasn’t enough space to display everything.
People started murmuring again.
“Alright, let’s begin.”
Ignoring the noisy voices, Kang Lim slowly observed the man.
When the man’s clear eyes met with Kang Lim’s, he flinched without realizing it.
This was because Kang Lim’s gaze had suddenly turned sharp.
‘His features are striking. His thick eyebrows rise towards the sky, and his skin looks firm. His complexion is mostly pale but slightly reddish.’
Kang Lim decided to start with the major parts like the hair and facial outline.
“For six years, I have experienced six springs, summers, autumns, and winters. Do you all remember the extremely hot summer days? As the weather changes every year, so do the appearance and colors of the mountains every day. Nature encompasses all colors, and I will find and depict the colors of our model’s face exactly as they are.”
Kang Lim asked the setup team to bring fragments C-1320/D-3050.
These were groups of large and small fragments.
“The skin is relatively light, firm, and smooth. I will mix the colors of the rock face I saw in the summer of 2009 with the stump of a red pine tree next to it. The sunlight was so strong that day that the cliff was sparkling. Mixing it with the reddish inner bark of a pine tree will give a sense of warm body temperature.”
Kang Lim fixed the fragments handed over by the setup team here and there.
He outlined the shape with broad, flat fragments.
With small shadowed fragments from the split rock face, he depicted the shadows around the nose, mouth, and eyes.
As the facial contours faintly appeared, the man remarked in amazement.
“Wow, it looks like you’re making a doll’s face.”
Firm yet slightly blushing skin. He seemed satisfied.
“For the empty spaces where I’ve removed the fragments, I’ll use pieces from the rainy season of that same summer in 2009. Please insert the unpublished fragments P-714/S-2040.”
When the setup team fixed the pieces, the sight of a dark rocky mountain appeared against a clear sky.
The wet appearance of the rocky mountain felt heavy and grand.
Contrasted with the cleanly painted rocks, it appeared more damp and eerie.
As if echoing the audience’s feelings, the man exclaimed.
“Wow, it’s like different weather conditions overlapping. Does the artist remember when and what fragments he painted? All 1,000 of them?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Now let’s find the hair.”
Kang Lim asked the setup team to bring fragments G-2030/G-110.
“Your hair resembles the bark of a spicebush. Compared to other trees, its bark is smooth and has a matte brown color. But it also feels a bit tough, so I’ll bring it from the winter forest of 2010.”
Kang Lim arranged the fragments to form arch-shaped bare trees.
People burst into laughter at the sight of the growing hair.
The rounded brushstrokes gave an organic dynamic feel.
“For the remaining empty parts, I’ll use the spring of 2007 when the flowers were pretty and the summer of 2006 when the valley water was the coolest.”
When Kang Lim inserted the fragments he mentioned into the empty winter landscape, new life began to sprout.
Wild violets bloomed in the white snow, and yellow dandelions poked their heads out.
Summer trees stretched their branches over the frozen valley water.
The masses covered in leaves were so full of life that they seemed unable to bear their own weight.
As the quiet mountain scene changed, people cheered.
Their excited faces were flushed.
“In the future, the scenery will change in a way that you can’t see in reality. Different times and seasons will mix and transform.”
Kang Lim then gathered various fragments to create detailed facial features.
The ridges of the mountains seen from afar, multicolored autumn leaves, the colors of the rough ground…
Pixels of different sizes came together to shape the model’s face.
A moment later, when Kang Lim finished the painting and turned around.
Everyone was holding up their smartphones.
It was now time to convey the meaning of the performance.
“In fact, it might be natural to paint humans with the colors of nature. Because we are also part of nature. So am I, and so are you. Over time, we will all return to the soil. These painting fragments hold infinite possibilities to become any living being. Thus, they will endlessly circulate.”
The man who modeled for the painting looked at his face drawn on the large wall with a dazed expression.
Unconsciously, he burst into a smile and then became quietly touched.
Seeing this, people started clapping.
A loud applause filled the once quiet hall.
It was a performance that somehow made one feel emotional.
“Kang Lim must be really exhausted.”
“They say artists are like walking zombies until the opening day.”
“If I had created such a grand piece, I probably wouldn’t have been able to come to the opening… credit to him for making it.”
“Well, it’s because he combined old works… still, thanks for coming even though it’s a class.”
“Hey, we would have come even if it wasn’t for class. What do you take us for?”
Kang Lim was chatting with his friends.
The closing time for Heyum was 7 PM. The last entry was at 6 PM, so there were hardly any visitors left now.
The remaining visitors were either latecomers or close acquaintances waiting for the after-party.
Kang Lim looked around the large exhibition hall.
He felt a renewed sense of pride.
Even now, its immense size made him wonder how he managed to paint it.
‘Although I said it was a combination of old works, I made a lot of revisions.’
The hardest part of painting was naturally fitting the puzzle pieces together.
If they matched too perfectly, it wouldn’t feel like different times were mixed, so maintaining an appropriate balance was difficult.
He wanted it to feel mismatched yet harmonious.
‘Completing past works in the present is always harder than expected. But I’m glad it ended well. I should thank the setup and planning teams…’
Kang Lim let out a big sigh while massaging his shoulders.
He was massaging his left arm with his right hand when…
Someone tapped his right shoulder.
When he turned around, Seoyeon was standing on tiptoe, tapping his shoulder.
“Are you giving a massage now?”
“Yeah, for your hard work!”
“I thought a mosquito was biting me.”
“…….”
The strength of her fist started to increase.
Ah, this is how it should be.
“Oh, that feels good.”
“This is the best exhibition I’ve seen at Heyum. I didn’t know the fifth-floor planning room could be such a fantastic space. And it’s not just because it’s you… I mean it.”
“I prefer praises because it’s me.”
“What are you saying?”
His back felt ticklish. The voice chattering behind him was pleasant to hear.
Seoyeon didn’t notice, but he liked the curious looks from his friends who seemed to be asking when they had become so close.
Kang Lim slowly melted into a good mood.
He had to stop, though, because he saw Ryu Miyeon approaching from a distance.
“You can stop now.”
“I didn’t even do much?”
Kang Lim turned around and whispered quietly.
“You also worked hard making the exhibition and pretending to be a part-timer at Heyum. And usually, I’m the one who gives massages, so people might think you’re the only one doing it. That would be unfair to me. You should look ahead.”
“Why? Is someone there?”
Seoyeon peeked her head out to the side.
She was happy to see her mom but… there was one person she didn’t like standing beside her.
“Gasp, it’s Shin Hansoo.”
“You don’t call him professor anymore. Is it because you think you’ve made the best exhibition?”
“…Wouldn’t this level of exhibition make him eat his words?”
“Pfft.”
Kang Lim glanced at Shin Taemin.
He seemed quite flustered too. More surprised than Seoyeon.
Given his uncomfortable expression, they didn’t seem to have a good relationship.
The problem was that everyone felt uncomfortable.
Since Shin Hansoo was not only recognized in Korea but also in the academic world, it was natural to feel uneasy.
Some students tried to get on his good side, but the results were disastrous.
Shin Hansoo didn’t become a renowned critic for nothing.
He had a keen aesthetic sense, so he wouldn’t praise bad works even if offered bribes.
‘Seniors said getting on his bad side would make your career difficult…’
Sure enough. As expected of freshmen.
Believing in the school’s scary rumors, students slowly slipped away, saying.
“I’ll be at the restaurant with the others… take your time.”
“Yeah! See you later.”
“Okay.”
In the end, only Shin Taemin remained.
“It’s been a while, Taemin.”
“Yes, hello.”
Ryu Miyeon exchanged a brief greeting with Shin Taemin and introduced Shin Hansoo to Kang Lim.
Seoyeon had a look that asked what was going on.
“Kang Lim, you’ve read ‘A Stroll Through a Museum Without Paintings’ and ‘How to Expand Your Artistic Self,’ right?”
“Yes. They’re international bestsellers, how could I not know? I also took your class. Your perspective on artworks was quite refreshing.”
“Haha, so you’ve met before.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Kang Lim greeted Shin Hansoo.
It was the first time seeing him since the first-semester class.
“Hello, it’s nice to see you again.”
“Indeed, it’s good to see you again. I didn’t expect to meet like this, but I enjoyed your exhibition.”
The intelligent gaze visible through his angular glasses, the firmly closed lips, and the raised chin were all perfectly authoritative.
He didn’t seem this severe before.
Ryu Miyeon, standing between them, spoke with a smile.
“Thanks to the professor, he has decided to follow Kang Lim to Paris. You know that in residency programs, a critic is matched one-on-one, right? For Kang Lim, it’s Professor Shin Hansoo.”
“…What?”
“And he’ll also write a column about today’s solo exhibition at Heyum. Congratulations.”
It was good news. If he received a favorable review, it would significantly impact the auction value of Kang Lim’s works.
Ryu Miyeon was confident that this exhibition wouldn’t receive a bad review, so she already looked relaxed.
Only Seoyeon, Shin Taemin, and Kang Lim seemed surprised.
Six wide eyes. The three of them had the same expression.
After quite a long silence…
The first to speak was Shin Taemin.
“Then, Father. Are you not coming home during winter break?”
When Shin Hansoo nodded, Shin Taemin beamed.
That’s the first time I’ve seen him smile like that.
