Episode 87: The Author’s Perspective
[Judging Commentary for the 30th Korean Art Competition]
This year, a total of 7,500 pieces were submitted, indicating an exceptionally high level of enthusiasm compared to other years.
We extend our gratitude to the artists who sent in works from various genres.
This contest focused on evaluating the artist’s creativity and unique interpretations.
Just as there is no superior art, even if you did not win an award, we hope you continue to strive forward.
Grand Prize - Kang Lim’s
While there were many competitive works that made the selection difficult, the decision for this grand prize was immediate.
It was because the artist’s unique interpretation of ‘Gunja’ and the spirit it conveyed revealed a highly esteemed value.
This is a unique piece that incorporates contemporary sentiments into traditional literati painting.
Particularly, the technique of combining ink wash painting with true-color materials to express a relief-like effect impressed the judges greatly.
The artist’s relentless experimental spirit in handling traditional pigments stands out.
The unique texture made it feel as if one were actually in a bamboo forest covered in snow.
Additionally, the paintings that change with the lighting and the hidden messages from the artist are excellent.
You can look forward to seeing this aspect at the <30th Korean Art Competition Award-Winning Works Exhibition> to be held at the Seoul Arts Center next year.
Click.
Kang Lim captured the judging commentary from the Korean Art Competition website and posted it in the group chat.
This is something worth bragging about.
[Kang Lim: (Photo) Do you know what the special prize for the contest is?]
As soon as he posted the message, the number disappeared.
Kang Lim’s lips curled slightly.
‘If they read the contest guidelines, they would be really jealous.’
However, even after a long time, there was no reply.
Feeling a bit disappointed with the lack of reaction, he thought, ‘My parents were so happy yesterday.’
Buzz—
At that moment, his phone buzzed.
[Lee Hyunseong: You bastard!!!!!!!]
[Lee Hyunseong: ㅜㅜㅜ I’m more jealous than of the Venice Biennale.]
Of course.
Kang Lim chuckled and typed a message.
[Kang Lim: I also went through basic training, though ㅎㅎ.]
[Lee Hyunseong: Shut up.]
[Lee Hyunseong: ㅏㅏ I wish I could get an exemption too…….]
[Shin Taemin: Impossible.]
[Lee Hyunseong: I know, you jerk. Don’t confirm it.]
[Shin Taemin: ㅇㅇ.]
[Lee Hyunseong: Aren’t you jealous?]
[Shin Taemin: I like the military.]
[Lee Hyunseong: Why?]
[Shin Taemin: No dad.]
The once noisy chatroom fell silent.
Kang Lim felt a slight chill down his back.
How strict must it be for someone to say this?
We’ll have to stick together every day from now on.
For now, the only key he could press was ‘.’.
[Lee Hyunseong: …….]
[Kang Lim: …….]
[Shin Taemin: Just kidding.]
Seoyeon was fiddling with her hair while staring at her phone screen.
She forced a smile to show her teeth, then closed her mouth.
It felt like an awkward day no matter what she did.
She also checked her reflection in the building’s window.
A skirt and heels might be over the top… She couldn’t stop thinking about what Sehee said yesterday.
[So, you hugged him because you were happy about the exemption? But Unnie, you looked so embarrassed and clueless! Tomato face! Hahaha!]
She wanted to hit her but restrained herself.
She was too outmatched in a physical fight.
“What, when did you get here?”
“Kyaa!”
Seoyeon was startled by Kang Lim, who appeared suddenly behind her.
He was always tall, but today he seemed even taller.
Kang Lim asked with wide eyes.
His nonchalant expression was somehow annoying.
“Why are you so surprised?”
“N-nothing……”
Kang Lim glanced at Seoyeon’s outfit.
It looked thin despite the cold weather where a coat wouldn’t be enough.
“Aren’t you cold? Why are you wearing a skirt?”
“Fashion is important for artists, you know?”
“…Were you an artist?”
“I do art too!”
“Why don’t you wait inside?”
“I just got here too!”
“Your nose is like Rudolph.”
“…….”
Kang Lim burst into laughter seeing Seoyeon purse her lips.
Seeing her glare, he decided to stop teasing her.
He stepped back a little and looked up at the building.
Just two stops past Heyum Residency, there’s K Auction.
Currently, it’s the only listed company among Korean auction houses.
“But the building is smaller than I thought.”
“The building might be small, but the money that flows through it is huge.”
“True, that’s right.”
Kang Lim and Seoyeon entered the auction house through the revolving door.
At the front of the auction hall was a large screen, and behind it were rows of seats.
Except for the staff handling phone bids on the side, it looked just like a classroom for art history lectures.
Seoyeon naturally received a paddle from the staff.
It had the number 77 written on it.
‘Oh, I guess you use this to call out the prices.’
There are three bidding methods at auctions.
On-site bidding, phone bidding, and pre-submitted written bids.
If the same price is called out, the written bidder wins.
This is because they took the risk of predicting the price.
Next in line are the customers who came to the site, and lastly, the phone bidders.
‘Who will take my piece…….’
Ryu Miyeon had prevented Kang Lim from participating in the auction of his own work, saying that artists who participate in their own auctions lack appeal.
Since his face had already been exposed in the domestic media, image management was necessary.
Today was just about experiencing the auction.
‘Well, I was curious about the auction process anyway… It doesn’t matter.’
Kang Lim followed Seoyeon and sat in the front row.
There were still not many people as it seemed far from starting.
Seoyeon handed a catalog to Kang Lim.
“See if there’s any painting you want to buy.”
“…Can I buy one if I want to?”
“Yeah, I trust your taste.”
Kang Lim was at a loss for words at Seoyeon’s casual reply.
Moments like this make him realize, ah, she’s from Jeil Group…
“This is the catalog of works being auctioned today, right?”
“Yeah, it’s from the exhibition the auction house held. Since we view the works on a screen during the auction, they hold exhibitions beforehand… Photos can’t fully capture the texture and preservation state.”
“Ah, right. But wasn’t my piece not shown in the exhibition?”
“Yeah, auction houses usually take two months to hold exhibitions, but you got in a month ago, so your piece couldn’t be shown. They’re going to handle it in a unique way… by revealing it directly at the auction.”
“Oh, that sounds cooler.”
“I think so too. When overseas auctions do that occasionally, it’s thrilling… wondering what will come out.”
Kang Lim flipped through the catalog to see if there were any familiar artists.
There were plenty of works from renowned deceased artists to active established artists.
‘New artists are rarer than the stars in a box of crackers…….’
The starting bid and estimated price were listed under each work title.
Looking at the prices, it was hard to say he wanted to buy any.
‘If it were a foreign auction, it would be easier to buy since I’d know who will become famous in the future…….’
Kang Lim decided to find a good piece purely based on its merits, without relying on future knowledge.
He aimed to meet a painting he genuinely wanted to buy, not from an investment perspective.
Then, he saw a piece depicting a primitive man.
It captured the moment when the man sneezed while tearing into a live animal.
A scene where snot and saliva mixed with flying flesh and bones.
The character, frowning, was both comic and grotesque.
‘Judging by the title
Kang Lim pointed to the painting and said.
“But there’s no information on the artist for this painting?”
“That’s a piece going up for a blind auction, where the bidder’s information is hidden. It’s rare for art pieces, though.”
“Wow, I’ve only heard about it. I never thought I’d see it.”
“Yeah, it happens occasionally.”
“That’s interesting. This means the value is determined solely by the painting, not the artist’s reputation. Maybe the artist wanted to test that.”
“Hmm…….”
Seoyeon stared at the painting.
The person’s face looked strangely familiar.
Though distorted by a quirky touch, the expression was familiar…
“I want to try a blind auction with my painting too.”
Seoyeon looked troubled at Kang Lim’s words.
“Hmm… But I don’t think an artist’s reputation is simply created. Even now, there are many new artists who don’t get properly recognized due to a lack of fame. I don’t think you need to do that.”
“No, no. I mean abroad, not in Korea.”
“An overseas auction?”
“Yeah, I’d be unknown abroad too. When’s my solo exhibition in Paris?”
“February.”
“Then how about I auction as ‘X’ in January, making people curious, and then hold the solo exhibition? If everyone’s curious about ‘X’, more people will come to see the exhibition.”
“Oh……?”
Frankly, it was a ridiculous idea.
There’s no chance an unknown artist could attract attention just by auctioning their work.
If someone other than Kang Lim had said it, she would have dismissed it.
“It sounds plausible… What piece will you submit?”
“A painting that Westerners have never seen before. Using materials like that one. What’s it made of?”
“In today’s world where everything is disclosed and shared online… is there such a thing?”
“When I drew Seoljookdo, I used a technique that even Koreans can’t find the secret of. How could foreigners find it?”
“Wow, that’s true? You had that?”
Kang Lim grinned at Seoyeon.
“I’ll think about what to draw.”
A few days later, on the third floor of K Auction.
Ten minutes before the major auction.
Every seat was taken.
Even the standing area was packed with reporters, a rare sight in domestic auctions.
The president of the Korean Art Association was reading a column with a vacant stare.
Looking around, everyone was holding the same newspaper.
Even in an era of online articles, there are people who make you look at special contributions.
This is only possible with someone like Shin Hansoo.
[What Kang Lim’s
With the advancement of technology leading to more large exhibition spaces, contemporary art pieces tend to grow larger.
It’s often said that amidst the grandeur, there’s nothing but an empty shell.
I too feared encountering a grotesque monstrosity when I heard that Kang Lim was announcing a 500M masterpiece.
Creating large-scale works at this point in time isn’t particularly surprising in a historical context.
Considering the excellent impression from his debut solo exhibition <24 Seasons of Emotions>, I was also afraid of being disappointed.
However, the moment I entered the exhibition hall.
I thought I would regret it forever if I hadn’t come today.
It was as exhilarating as his first solo exhibition and yet, completely different.
He possesses all the qualities needed for a great exhibition planner.
In musical terms, he’s not just a performer but also a conductor.
The natural light drawn into the circular exhibition hall changed the colors of the paintings moment by moment.
Thanks to the rock sculptures placed in the central hall, the flow of visitors was not interrupted.
Also, how about the unique work where one piece is abstract, but the entire picture becomes figurative?
It feels like an unexpected fragment has become a solid structure.
A sudden and unpredictable natural phenomenon.
This exhibition, where lighting, space, and works interact, is difficult to simply call a painting exhibition.
It’s literally a massive
Thus, it evokes a sense of grandeur and sublimity beyond ordinary admiration.
So, let’s talk about his work alone.
Can ‘landscape painting’ hold value?
The most important thing when viewing a work is the artist’s ‘perspective’.
Even the same landscape looks different depending on where the focus is.
An artist’s sentiment must delve beyond what’s visible.
What did Kang Lim pursue through this painting?
Stray dogs repeatedly appear in his landscapes.
This is because, due to large-scale redevelopment projects, residents abandoned their pets and left.
Dogs, once friends of humans, have now proliferated uncontrollably and become an invasive species in Bukhansan.
They are causing the extinction of all creatures living in the national park by devouring everything.
Seoul announced plans to capture hundreds of them.
Though they say capture, it essentially means culling.
Kang Lim’s painting doesn’t merely capture beautiful, splendid landscapes.
It subtly reveals human selfishness through annually changing land development policies.
Finally, he performed by taking a piece of nature and forming a human face.
While mixing the detached fragments into different weather patterns, creating a ‘climatic anomaly’…
A beautiful yet deceitful landscape.
All these are giant puzzles revealing hidden truths.
What is necessary to maintain nature’s
Do we live remembering that we are part of nature?
This might be the question he wanted to pose through this exhibition.
After meticulously reading the column, the association president crumpled the newspaper and handed it to his secretary.
He swept his face with his hand and held his head.
A lifeless expression, filled with anxiety.
He spoke to the secretary sitting next to him.
“Has Shin Hansoo ever praised an artist like this?”
“Well, not in the last 10 years at least. He’s usually very critical.”
“What do you think the estimated price for Kang Lim’s piece will be?”
“I can’t predict that either…….”
While the two were pondering, the chief auctioneer took the stage.
