Van Gogh Reborn!

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The Final Showdown (29)

The Venice Biennale award ceremony was underway.

Journalists from 71 countries around the world had come to cover the event, and the official broadcast of the Venice Biennale had over 2 million simultaneous viewers.

All the art lovers felt an unusual atmosphere.

A wind of change was blowing, centered around the genius who revealed himself to the world three years ago and the hero who led the art world to the right path.

Amidst the excitement and anticipation.

The Venice Biennale promotional video was played.

Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael Sanzio, Jean-François Millet, Claude Monet, Winslow Homer, Paul Cézanne, Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Gustav Klimt, Suzanne Valadon, Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, Xu Beihong, Salvador Dali, Frida Kahlo, Francis Bacon, Amrita Sher-Gil, Egon Schiele, Kim Chang-yeol, Paik Nam-june, Basquiat, etc.1

The faces of the artists who had moved humanity regardless of the East and West passed by, and the representative artists of the 2030 Venice Biennale followed.

When the video ended, the director of the Biennale, Ralph Rufus, took the stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Venice. Thank you for your support from afar, dear art lovers. I’m glad to see you. I’m Ralph Rufus.”

The attendees applauded in response, and the word ‘Between’ appeared on the front screen.

“Myself and the curators of each pavilion and 173 artists prepared this Venice Biennale with the theme of between, relationship.”

Ralph Rufus switched the screen with a remote control, and soon the faces of the visitors of the Venice Biennale were shown.

“And thanks to you, the Biennale was completed.”

It was not a one-sided event by the artists and the organizers, but a successful event thanks to the visitors.

“I hope you all receive blessings, and I will start the award ceremony.”

The attendees applauded again.

“They said they would give it to ten people this time, right?”

Lee In-ho, a reporter who came to the scene, asked Kim Ji-woo quietly.

“Yes.”

The biggest prize at the Venice Biennale was the Golden Lion, which was divided into three categories: the best artist, the lifetime achievement, and the national pavilion.

One of the young artists under 35 received the Silver Lion.

And a special prize was given to the noteworthy national pavilion, artist, curator or critic.

The Venice Biennale board announced that they would give special prizes to six people this year, expanding the chances of winning.

“Everyone seems nervous.”

Lee In-ho looked around and said.

“Of course. Their future will change with one prize.”

The Venice Biennale judges were composed of representatives of the art world from their respective positions.

This year, prominent art historians Caroline Strick, Whitney Museum director Eric Dauer, New Tate Modern Gallery director Marcus Allen and others participated in the judging.

As they were selected by the leaders of the art world, they could also get exhibition opportunities from them later, and the fact of winning at the world’s largest art fair was a great help to their lives as artists.

“Special mention.”

Ralph Rufus opened the card with the names of the winners and smiled.

“National pavilion, the US pavilion. Congratulations.”

In the midst of the enthusiastic cheers, Sarah Georgia and her fellow artists, and the US pavilion curator jumped up.

Sarah Georgia seemed to have never thought that she would receive the prize, and her eyes were wide open with confusion and joy.

“She finally reaped the fruits after being noticed for years.”

Lee In-ho clapped his hands and turned his head.

He pretended to know the artist that Kim Ji-woo often mentioned, but he laughed when she was happy as if it was her own business.

“Right? I knew she would make it someday.”

Kim Ji-woo congratulated Sarah Georgia while the curator special prize went to the one who took charge of the Belgian pavilion.

“This year, we have four special prizes for the artists.”

Ralph Rufus paused for a moment.

“Julia Curtis, Louis Hallowell, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Nicola Patti. Congratulations.”

“Wow!”

The artists who learned of their winning celebrated with their colleagues and went up to the stage.

Ralph Rufus introduced each of the special mention winners and handed them the certificates and plaques.

As the atmosphere warmed up, a subtle tension flowed among the artists.

No one could predict who would receive the Silver Lion, the highest prize for young artists under 35.

Kim Ji-woo, who was happy with Sarah Georgia’s winning, also waited anxiously for the announcement.

“What do you think?”

Lee In-ho asked.

“I don’t know.”

Not only Kim Ji-woo, but no one could predict.

The whereabouts of the Silver Lion were obscure as young painters who were loved worldwide, such as Henri Marso, Jean Mi-rae, and Ko Hun, participated in the national pavilion.

Among the artists who participated in this exhibition, Francis Bacon, Hao Ren, Nicola Patti and others had high chances, but none of them stood out.

Ralph Rufus checked the winner.

“If I may add my personal opinion, this was the fairest and the boldest judgment ever.”

As everyone was puzzled.

Ralph Rufus announced the winner of the Silver Lion Award.

“Jang Mi-rae! Congratulations!”

As everyone was shocked, Jang Mi-rae froze with her eyes wide open.

She could only look at her displayed on the front large screen.

“Peony is a work that expresses the most primal instinct for beauty, and Jang Mi-rae has deconstructed and recreated the flower, a symbol of beauty, to pursue a new aesthetics.”

Ralph Rufus began to read the judges’ comments.

People soon understood why Ralph Rufus had added his remark and applauded her with respect and admiration.

Her acquaintances shook Jang Mi-rae, who was stunned.

“Senior!”

“Mi-rae!”

“Aunt!”

“Huh? Huh? Huh?”

“Congratulations! Really!”

The artists who had participated in the Fools’ Party and Seo Inho, who had participated in the Korean Pavilion, were happier than the winner.

As Ralph Rufus pushed her back to the stage and handed her the silver lion trophy made of silver, people cheered as if they were leaving the award ceremony.

Jang Mi-rae stood awkwardly in front of the microphone.

“Thank you.”

She couldn’t help but be surprised.

No one expected Jang Mi-rae, who did not participate in this exhibition (Arsenale), to receive the Silver Lion Award.

“Uh. I’m so surprised that I can’t speak well. I should have had a drink before coming up. There’s champagne on the table.”

Everyone took Jang Mi-rae’s joke as a joke because it was such a shocking event.

Jang Mi-rae also caught her breath and said what she had kept in her heart.

“It’s a happy thing to receive an award. But I’ve had more times when I couldn’t, so this place is not very comfortable.”

It was well-known that she had protested against the unfair judging and splashed red paint on the judges.

“I painted the most precious picture for me, and so did the other people here. I want to share today’s glory with everyone who filled the Venice Biennale with beauty. Thank you.”

As Jang Mi-rae finished her speech, a wave of applause filled with respect swept over.

“That was a wonderful speech. Congratulations to Jang Mi-rae again.”

Ralph Rufus checked the list.

The atmosphere in the hall, which had been warmed by Jang Mi-rae’s speech, became tense again.

Jang Mi-rae’s winning of the Silver Lion Award implied that the Golden Lion Award would include not only Arsenale but also Giardini.

“Next is the Lifetime Achievement Award.”

It was the first and most honorable award of the Golden Lion Award at the world’s largest art exhibition.

“Shara Hughes. Congratulations.”

Shara Hughes, a British installation artist, was named.

“Shara Hughes understands space with her original insight. Windows and mazes make modern people, who spend most of their lives in buildings, perceive windows, the boundary between inside and outside of buildings, in a new way.”

The cheers were so loud that Ralph Rufus’s reading of the judging was not heard.

└She got it, Shara Hughes.

└I wish Goseoyeol had gotten it ㅠ

└Goseoyeol already got the Golden Lion Award ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└Shara Hughes is amazing too. She was a bit overshadowed by Damien Carter, but she’s been getting recognized lately.

└ㅇㅇ If you look at her career, Goseoyeol is unbeatable, but Shara Hughes is amazing too. 40 years.

└Goseoyeol getting the national pavilion is more important. Then it’s the second Golden Lion Award.

└The national pavilion Golden Lion Award will go to the Fools’ Party, right?

└ㅇㅈ. No comparison.

“The national pavilion will go to the Fools’ Party, right?”

Lee Inho asked.

“Of course. Who else would get it if not Hoon and Henri. It’s not like other works are missing. There are also Master Goseoyeol and Professor Mi-rae.”

Kim Jiwu snorted and said.

The Golden Lion Award for the national pavilion had to go to the Korea-France joint pavilion, whether by work or popularity.

“I think you all expected this result.”

Ralph Rufus smiled and checked the winner.

“France-Korea joint pavilion. Congratulations.”

“Wow!”

Ma Eunchan cheered and jumped up.

People who were sitting politely, people who were cheering with Ma Eunchan, and Henri Marso who was farting with his legs crossed, all expressed their joy in different ways.

All the artists who participated in the Korea-France joint exhibition felt like they had everything in the world.

└Of course, it feels good.

└Right? LOL

└Honestly, it’s incomparable to other places where only 1-3 people participate. Especially this time, it was the best ever.

└Hoon is so cute holding his grandfather’s hand and going up ㅠㅠ

└He won the Golden Lion Award at 13 years old ㄷㄷ

└It wasn’t an individual award, thoughㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└What Hoon regretted was that there were too many competitors. There were also Henry, Jang Mi-rae, Francis, Hao, and Nicola for the Silver Lion Award, which is given to those under 35.

└Henry already won it last time.

└They gave it to someone who wasn’t even a participant in the exhibition, so they could give it twice.

└They said they would remove any qualifications or limitations for the award.

└Hoon should aim for the next one. He’s still too young, honestly.

└Are they crazy? It’s amazing that he won the Golden Lion Award, but they’re saying he didn’t win an individual award.

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋHoon was the representativeㅋㅋㅋㅋ

The participating artists of the Bulhandang all made sure that Hoon could stand on the glorious stage.

Hoon, who was asked to give his acceptance speech, lowered the microphone himself.

“Thank you.”

Everyone looked at the genius painter with a warm expression.

“My grandfather said it, and I always think that I should be humble, but I don’t think so today.”

Hoon smiled and showed the trophy made of gold.

“We were awesome.”

People laughed and cheered loudly.

All 173 participants experienced the Korea-France joint exhibition and couldn’t deny Hoon’s words.

If the Golden Lion Award had gone to another national pavilion, they would have doubted the fairness.

Not to mention Go Soo-yeol’s and Jang Mi-rae’s .

And the emotions that Henry Marceau’s and Hoon’s brought.

People sincerely congratulated the Bulhandang.

“It wasn’t easy to prepare. There were so many artists, so Michel and Mr. Taeho really worked hard for us.”

Hoon mentioned the names of each and every one of the artists who did their best, starting with Michel Platini and Bang Taeho, who were the artistic directors.

“It was really fun to work. I hope this opportunity goes to not only me, but also other people. The joint exhibition, too. I hope there are more exhibition halls. So that everyone can smile happily.”

Hoon showed the Golden Lion Award again.

“That was the speech of Hoon, the artist. I thought I had done everything I had to do while conducting this award ceremony, but Hoon gave me one last assignment. I’ll take responsibility and tell the organizing committee.”

Hoon and the artists cheered again at Ralph Rufus’s promise.

“And finally, the last one.”

Ralph Rufus’s audience quieted down.

“The 2030 Venice Biennale. The last Golden Lion Award winner is!”

After a brief pause.

Ralph Rufus named the new era’s protagonist.

“Henry Marceau of 2 Years and 8 Months!”

Michel covered his mouth.

Hoon turned his head quickly.

“Hmph.”

The Bulhandang artists, who were crossing their legs and folding their arms, ran to Henry, who was acting arrogant after hearing the news of the Golden Lion Award.

“Get out of the way!”

“Henry! Henry!”

“Henry! Henry!”

“Move!”

As the Bulhandang artists rejoiced, Ralph Rufus opened his mouth again.

“And. Uh… 149,597,870.696km of Hoon! Congratulations!”

The people who were about to lift Henry Marceau with a stretcher froze.

The audience was buzzing.

Hoon himself was surprised by the unprecedented joint award.

“Both of you, please come up and give your acceptance speech.”

Ralph Rufus called Henry Marceau and Hoon to the stage, and Henry Marceau handed the microphone to Hoon first.

Hoon blinked his eyes and opened his mouth.

“Uh… I’m up here again.”

People laughed loudly.

1)In this novel, I mentioned Francis Bacon and Baek Dong-joon, who is based on Paik Nam-june, but I decided to use their real names instead of pseudonyms in the list above.