Van Gogh Reborn!

Chapter 297:

297

The Final Showdown (2)

On the day that Go Soo-yeol and Ko Hun joined the Korean Artists Association, the venue was packed with people.

Amid the exposure of the corruption of the Korean Art Association, the attention was drawn to the giants of the Korean art world who raised their hands for the union.

Seo In-ho, the union leader, personally welcomed Go Soo-yeol and Ko Hun, and soon the reporters threw questions at them.

“What role will you play in the union?”

Go Soo-yeol smiled wryly and answered.

“I don’t have any specific role. I’m just a union member who cooperates with each other.”

“Many people are curious about how the meeting between Go Soo-yeol and Seo In-ho took place.”

“Haesong was my junior by one year, but we didn’t interact much. He liked to wander around so much that he rarely showed up at school.”

“Hahaha!”

Go Soo-yeol laughed loudly at Seo In-ho’s joke.

He was literally more in the mountains and fields than at school, so he didn’t have much contact with Seo In-ho.

They just had a good impression of each other.

“I heard that you finished the orientation for the Korea-France joint exhibition hall. How is the preparation for the Venice Biennale going?”

“We are preparing well without any trouble. Everyone is doing their best, so it will be a great exhibition.”

“There is a rumor that the Venice Biennale might be postponed. What do you think about that?”

The venue became quiet for a moment at a reporter’s question.

The Venice Biennale Organizing Committee had said that the opening ceremony might be delayed a bit due to the reason of auditing the national pavilions.

No one didn’t know that it started from the Korean pavilion.

The reporter indirectly asked what Go Soo-yeol thought about the corruption of the Korean Art Association.

Everyone waited with bated breath for what the giant of the Korean art world would say.

In the silence, Go Soo-yeol opened his mouth with a firm voice.

“Wrong things should be corrected, shouldn’t they?”

Other reporters followed suit.

“The corruption allegations of the association are emerging. Please say something!”

“Was the Korean pavilion really operated unfairly?”

“Did you know about the corruption of Choi Young-soo, the president of the association?”

“Did you join the union to distance yourself from the association!”

It was an issue that stirred up the whole country.

Only Seo In-ho and a few union members raised the issue of the rotten art world.

If Go Soo-yeol, who was respected both domestically and internationally, stepped up, the public opinion would be more powerful.

“I know that all the corruption allegations of the association that are being talked about by the media and the union are true.”

The reporters who came to cover were shocked.

The art world insiders who attended the venue smiled with joy.

“From today, I will not cooperate with the association at all.”

Go Soo-yeol said with force.

“I want to protect the rights of the artists. And I want to correct all the wrongdoings that have been done by the association.”

Go Soo-yeol looked at his grandson sitting next to him.

Everyone followed his gaze and Ko Hun opened his mouth.

“You must have had a hard time.”

His warm voice began to comfort the hall.

“It was wrong. It was clearly wrong, but you couldn’t say anything because you were afraid of being harassed. You had no place to stand. You must have been frustrated about what to do.”

The people who had been harmed by the unfair treatment of the association nodded inwardly.

“But I hope you know that art continues because of you.”

Ko Hun looked at the union artists and said.

“It’s not the association, but you who are sculpting. If you are worried because you have no place to stand.”

As Ko Hun spoke, the central screen showed the view of the Chocolatier Gallery.

“I’ll give you my gallery.”

Everyone who came to the ceremony was surprised.

It was well known that Ko Hun bought 2,600 pyeong to build a large gallery.

It was a relatively underdeveloped area, but it was in Paris.

The European media were paying attention to Ko Hun’s new gallery, which he founded with Henri Marso.

“It won’t change much if I just lend a hand. But it will get better if we do it together.”

Ko Hun looked at the camera.

“When the gallery is completed, I will open an exhibition for the union members once a month.”

He spoke as if appealing to those who were watching this moment.

“Don’t lose courage.”

[The corruption of the association acknowledged by the giant of the art world]

[Ko Hun, promises to open his gallery for marginalized artists]

[Go Su-yeol, “Freedom and rights are not given by others. You have to find them yourself”]

[Don’t lose courage]

On the 3rd, Go Su-yeol (65) and Ko Hun (12) joined the Korean Artists Association.

The Korean Artists Association, organized by Seo In-ho (66) in 2027, is a group of domestic artists.

The association does not receive government subsidies or corporate sponsorship, but rather operates independently to hold exhibitions and sell artworks.

This is in stark contrast to the recent investigation of the Korean Art Association for corruption allegations.

At the joining ceremony, Go Su-yeol said, “The association has been dishonest for a long time, and the powerless artists have been treated unfairly. The union will play a role in helping the artists protect their inherent rights.”

According to industry insiders, the artists were afraid of the association’s retaliation and could not join the union, and the exhibitions held by the union did not receive much attention.

This is why Ko Hun’s grandson’s remark is causing a stir.

Ko Hun said he would open his gallery, which is currently being established in Montmartre, Paris, for those who were denied opportunities by the association’s unfair treatment.

The artists are curious about what actions they will take with the expectation that they can have exhibitions at the main stage of Chocolatier, an artist group founded by Ko Hun and Henri Marso.

Meanwhile, Ko Hun is known to have invested most of his income from selling artworks, advertising, film production, and the inheritance from his parents to build the Chocolatier gallery.

Lee In-ho reporter (Daehan Ilbo)

“Don’t lose courage.”

Ko Hun’s voice echoed loudly.

He was not satisfied with using his gallery, which he invested his entire fortune in, as a playground for the neglected children, but he also offered to give one exhibition hall for the domestic artists.

└There is nothing more to say.

└It’s shameful. Even a young kid is trying to share what he has, but what are the adults doing?

└After seeing only trashy news for the past few years, this is a heartwarming story for a change.

└I graduated from art school, but I was moved by Hoon’s interview. I gave up now, but it reminded me of the old days.

└How can he do that?

└That’s the real flex. Buying luxury goods and supercars, is that a flex?

└lol

└It would have been perfect if he didn’t teach Muslims how to draw.

└Please stop thinking like that. Hoon and Goseul also face racial discrimination in France. They tell us to get out of their country for eating dog meat. How is that different from you hating Muslims?

└It’s different. Are we the same as those terrorists?

└The terrorists are separate, aren’t they?

└The French are so ridiculous. They eat anything from snails to whatever, but they make a fuss about eating dogs.

└The French are notorious for being selfish. They tried to forcibly take away the homeless’s dog and sell it.

└This is also discrimination. If you argue with food, you become the same as them. And the people who returned the dog to the homeless were also French.

└Please stop fighting. Hoon also wants us to stop.

└Right. I’m sick of it. All I see on the news is fighting. There’s no one who doesn’t fight. Aren’t you tired?

└Hoon just wants to be together. His works always speak of happiness or longing.

└Our Hoon is awesome ㅠㅠ

As more people sympathized with Hoon, some groups responded and joined in.

“Baum Art Museum?”

Goseul and Hoon were surprised by the news that Bang Taeho delivered.

“Yes. I got a call from the director. He said he got permission from the owner. He agreed to host an exhibition for the members.”

“Who’s the owner?”

“Baedobin.”

“Wow. This is amazing. Thank you.”

Hoon blinked.

Baedobin was a world-famous musician that Hoon knew well.

He wondered how the conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic could own the largest art museum in Korea.

“Isn’t he a conductor?”

“He’s also the heir of WH Group.”

Hoon recalled the initials WH on the front of the Baum Art Museum.

“If the Baum Art Museum moves, other places will react quickly too.”

“I guess so. Hold on.”

Goseul’s phone rang.

It was a call from Lee Junho, the director of the Seoul Art Museum.

“Yes, this is Goseul.”

-Hi, teacher, this is Lee Junho from the Seoul Art Museum. How are you?

“Haha. I’m always busy. What’s up?”

-Well.

Director Lee sighed softly and gathered his courage.

-I’ve been thinking a lot after hearing your and Hoon’s story. I’m ashamed to admit it, but it’s true that I’ve been playing it safe.

“…”

-But you know what? The association can exist or not, but how can the museum run without anything to exhibit?

“Hmm.”

-I was thinking of joining the association and doing some work. I was wondering who to contact, so I called you to say hello and ask if you would be okay with it…

“Of course, we should work together on this. I’ll talk to the association and arrange a place for you before you return to Paris.”

-Oh, thank you. Thank you so much.

“Haha, don’t mention it. I should be the one thanking you.”

As soon as Go Soo-yeol finished the call, Bang Tae-ho came out.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s Lee Joon-ho, the director of the Seoul Art Museum. He wants to join the association and work with us.”

Ko Hun was happy to hear that he had contacted the Seoul Art Museum.

The Seoul Art Museum, where he had exhibited his first work , was also a large place.

“Haha, I know what he’s up to.”

Bang Tae-ho figured out Lee Joon-ho’s intentions. The atmosphere was leaning towards the association, and the two masters representing Korea were working together, so he moved quickly to secure an exhibition.

“Haha, he loves paintings, doesn’t he?”

Choi Kyu-seo’s eyes shook as she entered the office of the Korean Art Association.

The office was filled with documents that could not be discarded.

The computers were all empty.

The phone ringing and the staff’s voices filled the air.

“Yes, sir. Why do you want to withdraw?”

“I have no choice. I have to go through a three-month probationary period. Sir? Sir?”

The counselors tried to stop the artists from leaving by imposing complicated procedures, but it was useless.

The association had to resort to ordinary office workers to deal with the endless withdrawal requests.

They couldn’t even prepare for the audit of the Venice Biennale Organizing Committee, let alone the police who came and took away all the PCs and important documents.

“Hey, wait a minute.”

Choi Kyu-seo grabbed an association employee.

“What happened? Huh?”

The employee snapped back.

“Don’t you know the investigation results?”

He showed hostility to someone he wouldn’t normally look at.

“Father. Where is my father?”

“He just went to be questioned. Can you move?”

The employee passed by Choi Kyu-seo.

She couldn’t accept the situation that changed overnight.

She leaned against the wall with her legs giving out and stared blankly at the chaotic office for a while.