July 9, 1512
July 9, 1512.
Alfonso d'Este, Duke of Ferrara, was forgiven for all the offenses he had committed against the Pope with just a warm embrace from Pope Julius.
A few days later.
Alfonso actively expressed his desire to see the Sistine Chapel ceiling fresco that Michelangelo was working on, directly to the Pope.
Everything fell into place, and one fine afternoon,
Alfonso, along with several other nobles, visited the Sistine Chapel.
By that time, Michelangelo was pushing forward with the fresco at an unbelievably rapid pace, and his body had already reached the western end of the Sistine ceiling.
Among those who climbed the scaffolding alongside Alfonso to observe Michelangelo and his assistants at work was Ludovico Ariosto.
Ludovico Ariosto.
He came from the Ariosto family, vassals who had served the Este family that ruled Ferrara for generations, and he was accompanying Alfonso on this visit.
The group climbed up the scaffolding.
And when they witnessed the fresco,
Only astonishment spread across Alfonso's and Ludovico's faces. Ludovico Ariosto was almost entranced as he gazed upon the fresco.
Four years after this event,
Ludovico Ariosto recalled the moment of visiting the Sistine Chapel and described Michelangelo as "the superhuman Michael, the sacred angel" in Orlando Furioso ([Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, canto 33, line 2]).
.
.
.
[Orlando Furioso]
This masterpiece of chivalric literature is what makes Ludovico Ariosto remembered today as a representative Renaissance poet. The fact that he wrote such words about Michelangelo's fresco shows how deeply it moved him.
No, it was Michelangelo himself who created that masterpiece that amazed everyone.
Ten minutes before booth opening.
While rolling around a lapis lazuli globe-shaped item at the goods booth, which could only be reached after passing Kang Seok's artworks Sunset and Dusk, time passed.
Meanwhile, the Bloom Museum team was giving final checks for the gallery session.
Sweat glistened on their brows as they moved busily.
Despite the pleasantly warm weather and the air conditioning running overhead, they moved as if they were working under a sweltering downpour just before a storm.
They were carrying frames.
Normally, this should have been done long before the setup was complete.
Nearby booth people looked on confused, wondering what they were doing. Even the staff of the international gallery close by gave them puzzled looks.
No wonder.
Bloom had already changed the display location three times that morning alone.
"What on earth are they doing?"
"Wasn't Bloom known for being quick with their display setups?"
"(Where is Bloom from?)"
"(It says here: South Korea. But Bloom's a gallery that's participated a lot in Art Basel Miami Beach, right?)"
The onlookers stared at Bloom's booth as if saying, "Will they really get any results at Art Basel acting this amateur?"
An art fair.
Despite many euphemisms, this was basically a market.
A market where those who sell a lot at high prices take all the glory.
And in this market, "display" was one of the sales skills — arranging the items, paintings, attractively and harmoniously to entice buyers.
If they couldn't even manage that, what hope was there? Those people soon looked away from Bloom's booth.
But some kept watching.
"(Is something up with Bloom?)"
"(I don't know, but I saw some really nice goods prepared behind Bloom's booth earlier.)"
"(Really?? I didn't see much.)"
"(Not there, behind. There's another set of goods back there that's really… Perfect! I'm definitely buying. I'll go right after the booth opens, so remember that.)"
They were people either close to Bloom or those who had seen Kang Seok's goods displayed behind.
"(You know the opening time is the most important, right? When the crowd is biggest. Why would you leave and come back? Goods don't sell out that fast.)"
"(Oh Jamie, don't stop me. I have a feeling it'll disappear quickly. It's a gallery person's sixth sense. So, damn it, don't stop me. I'm going no matter what.)"
"(…Okay, do as you please.)"
Most of those staring fiercely were early hunters of Kang Seok's goods.
Anyway.
Amid the attention of the crowd, Bloom Museum staff worked hard, their faces flushed from the effort as they carried the artworks.
There was one reason for this.
They wanted to find a display setup that would allow people to appreciate Sunset and Dusk with more immersion. That was why they changed the display position three times that morning.
Click.
The sound of screws fitting into the wall and clear acrylic frames locking together, as Jin Yumi wiped sweat slowly from her face.
As she walked with a steady click of her heels toward the booth entrance, everything came into view.
Jin Yumi murmured with satisfaction:
"Done..."
The wide booth layout guided visitors inward like a signpost, with Sunset and Dusk cleverly concealed on the walls.
Since the works were to be appreciated in light and shadow within darkness, Sunset was surrounded by walls, and Dusk was placed deep inside.
'Thinking about the money spent to rent this large booth... really...'
Jin Yumi recalled the heated calls she had with Art Basel Miami Beach officials in the past, smiling slightly.
Though the booth opening was near and excitement was to be controlled, it was impossible not to feel excited.
Then.
"Won't you regret it?"
Director Jin Do-wook of Bloom Museum suddenly appeared and looked at Jin Yumi. His eyes reflected warmth, so Jin Yumi turned her head with a sly smile.
"What?"
While she turned, her eyes caught the magazine Jin Do-wook was holding.
This was the magazine featuring a 16-page interview with Professor Park Ji-yeop and reporter Lee Ji-hye.
[Art Entrance Exam].
Jin Yumi had read this a lot when preparing for art college exams, but her thoughts drifted elsewhere. Then Director Jin's voice pierced her ears.
"Changing the display like this... Originally, the goal was to sell works by our affiliated artists to visitors drawn in by Sunset and Dusk. But if you lay out the display as if saying, 'Welcome, this way to go,' then..."
Isn't that completely putting the cart before the horse? Director Jin looked amusedly over the display layout.
Kang Seok's works were on loan.
They weren't for sale.
What Kang was selling were goods, which were nice but limited to 100 pieces and seemed sold with good intentions. They weren't expensive. Though they offered to cover the booth fee, accepting such a thing isn't good in the long run, so they refused.
"What will you report to the higher-ups?"
Above Bloom Museum was the Sangkan Cultural Foundation.
Though their goal was to open the door to the Swiss Art Basel, the market barometer, saying they gain nothing might bring complaints. Jin Do-wook swallowed that thought and looked at Jin Yumi.
Then Jin Yumi smiled quietly without stopping the smile from slipping between her lips, looking at Director Jin.
"How many people do you think will come to see Kang's work?"
"...Hmm?"
"No. How many times do you think people will come back to see Kang's work?"
"...Hmm."
Director Jin closed his mouth after hearing Jin Yumi's meaningful words. She was saying this: People coming to see Kang's work won't only see it once.
And hearing that, it didn't seem wrong.
'How long did I admire Kang's Dusk the first time I saw it? How many times did I visit Sunset ?'
The answer was obvious.
'Yeah. Once you feel like you've absorbed the work a little, suddenly 20 or 30 minutes have passed. That's Kang's work.'
But given the booth's limited viewing space, visitors would have to move on before fully absorbing it.
'People won't be satisfied, so they'll come back... and the waiting line will grow... Yes. Lines. While waiting in line, where else can they look but the displayed works...'
Director Jin looked at Jin Yumi with a knowing expression.
"You didn't just give way."
"I laid it out so the path isn't boring. Not bad, right?"
Jin Yumi laughed as she thought it was a good idea. Director Jin nodded watching her stick out her tongue briefly.
Not bad.
No, it was a really good idea.
A display line that didn't seem greedy for Kang but let them keep their gains.
Director Jin looked at Jin Yumi with a strange admiration.
When did she grow like this? Since she took charge of the solo exhibition of artist Yang Seon-gu, she seemed to have rapidly improved. Maybe I should entrust more new curators to him...
Lost in such thoughts, Director Jin noticed Jin Yumi's gaze and looked up.
Jin Yumi was looking at the magazine Director Jin held.
"Why?"
"Um... if you've finished, can I have a quick look?"
"...Sure."
Director Jin flipped the pages.
Then he began walking toward the back of the booth to check Kang Seok's condition.
Watching Director Jin walk away, Jin Yumi lowered her head to read. As she began to turn to read Professor Park Ji-yeop's interview from the beginning, a highlighter caught her eye.
Following the streaked highlighter instinctively, she read:
[October 31, 1512.]
[Michelangelo completed the Sistine Chapel ceiling fresco after a total of 4 years and 6 months of work (including 1 year and 6 months spent in conflict and exile from the Pope).]
Oh.
Michelangelo again.
"If, just if, you wanted to rebuild Michelangelo Buonarroti's tomb... how would you do it?"
Jin Yumi's eyes sparkled.
Come to think of it, Kang seemed very interested in Michelangelo. Thinking this, Jin Yumi's eyes were drawn deeper into the open page.
.
.
.
October 31, 1512.
Michelangelo completed the Sistine Chapel ceiling fresco after a total of 4 years and 6 months of work (including 1 year and 6 months spent in conflict and exile from the Pope).
After finishing the ceiling fresco, Michelangelo wrote a letter to his father:
[The painting is complete, and the Pope is satisfied.]
The next day,
News of the fresco's completion drew people flocking to the Sistine Chapel. They came rushing to see his masterpiece.
Vasari described this moment as:
"When the ceiling fresco was revealed, the sound of people rushing from all over to see it was heard ringing in the ears. It was truly something so magnificent that people were dumbfounded to behold it" (Vasari, Lives of the Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, vol. 2, p. 675).
.
.
.
When Jin Yumi finished reading there,
—!
A short horn echoed through the wide exhibition hall.
It was the announcement that the entrance would begin now. It was like the start of Art Basel Miami Beach.
At the pre-announced sound, not only Bloom Museum but everyone at each booth watched the entrance nervously.
Jin Yumi was the same. She thought many people would come to see Kang Seok's works, but since she had never actually seen it before... she couldn't help but feel nervous about just how many people would show up.
Far away, she saw a bright light coming in—it seemed the huge doors of the exhibition hall were opening. Jin Yumi pressed her pounding heart.
"Calm down. Calm down. How many people could really come on the first day to make you nervous? Most people go for the famous ones. Art Basel always has a lot of big names. The first day can't be a feast every time. We just have to wait for word of mouth to spread."
She silently repeated these words to calm herself.
At that moment, she thought she felt a faint vibration through her heels. What was that? Just as Jin Yumi was about to look around in surprise, she clearly heard footsteps. Where was it? Instinctively, Jin Yumi turned toward the sound.
That was when...
The source of the footsteps, which had been heard coming from around a distant corner, appeared just peeking out. It was someone wearing a white top and jeans.
One person? Just as she locked eyes with the runner approaching, dozens more came rushing behind them in a line.
"...Oh my gosh!"
Startled, Jin Yumi clutched her chest. At the same time, she could feel that all of them were looking right at her. They were coming this way.
It reminded her of the animal kingdom scenes she watched as a child.
The wildebeests in the Serengeti risking their lives crossing the Mara River to reach fresh grass... that was exactly how this looked. And in a flash, they were already right in front of her.
Ha ha. Ha. Ha. With legs trembling slightly, Jin Yumi straightened up immediately.
"...Phew. Everyone, stay sharp."
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
"Understood!"
The staff around Jin Yumi had gathered at the entrance.
At an art fair, it was important to let people calmly enjoy the viewing, but when there were this many people, smoothly directing the flow without overlap was the duty of the gallery staff and curators.
Jin Yumi fired orders rapidly.
"Don't just dump the works at cheap prices to whoever comes first. Sell them with as much margin as possible. If you don't know something, radio me immediately. Let's make a proper sale today. Got it?"
"Yes...!"
Just as Jin Yumi was rapidly giving orders to the staff, people approached them and politely asked, quickly but respectfully:
"(Is this the Bloom Museum booth? I came to see Kang Seok's works, where are they?)"
"Can I see the works of artist Kang Seok?"
"(Excuse me, could you tell me where Kang Seok's works are?)"
Jin Yumi smiled and bowed her head.
She was addressing a foreigner with blue eyes standing right in front of her.
"(Kang Seok's works,
Dozens of people.
Compared to an amusement park opening rush, this was nothing, but at an art fair, it was a rare sight.
Several staff members from neighboring booths exchanged surprised looks at the fans who seemed to have rushed over as if to see their favorite celebrity, then quickly joined the crowd.
"This artist wasn't well-known before, but looks like they have a lot of fans."
"Yeah, if it goes well, the resale prices could be crazy."
"Let's stick together. Head straight to the merchandise section."
At the end of the booth.
They were heading to buy merchandise.
So true fans who wanted to buy Kang Seok's works, a few people who had just followed along out of curiosity because so many were coming, and several staff members from the neighboring booths who had seen the merchandise Kang Seok seemed to have made themselves—all of them walked toward the same place.
The destination was where Kang Seok's works were.
And among the crowd was Simone Cassani, who had sold the building to Kang Seok.
Wow.
Simone Cassani let out a short exclamation.
"(I should come back to look around when I have time.)"
He hurried on, fiddling with his newly tailored suit. Seeing everyone else dressed casually, he wondered if he was overdressed just to look impressive.
He didn't want to look like a sudden rich guy. Although he did become one after selling the building, Cassani nervously touched his hair as he walked forward, leaning slightly ahead.
He had actually come because Kang Seok invited him, but he hadn't expected this much popularity.
"(Honestly, I was scared it might be like a war in Korea, and winters are so cold. So I hesitated, but when I heard about the art fair, I flew right over. It took exactly nine hours from home to get here.)"
"(I'm also taking a bit of a break... this place is great for surfing. The waves aren't too rough... but more than that, I'm really excited. My heart feels like it might jump out. Oh, I might even cry when I see Kang Seok's work. That's exactly how I feel right now.)"
"(That's funny. I came here early on purpose, hoping to see the original work on the first day... but I can't see it. Well, that's to be expected.)"
"(Expecting to see the artist himself at an art fair is a bit...)"
Listening to the flood of English, Cassani silently rounded his mouth in surprise. He didn't know much about art, but Kang Seok seemed to be a fairly famous artist.
But no one seemed to know Kang Seok was here. Cassani thought it would be nice if they knew Kang Seok was present, as he passed through the booth's pillars.
Like walking through an open door into a room, the moment he stepped forward, everything turned white around him. Cassani felt a sense of openness in a narrow space and marveled.
He didn't even notice the sudden quietness as if they had entered a library. He looked around. White. White. White. Everything was white.
Wasn't the work called
'But why aren't I moving forward... what's going on?'
Cassani lifted his chin and looked ahead.
And he felt his entire field of vision taken over. Red. Red. Red. Red. Everything was red.
But it was different.
What was this feeling... how to describe it...?
Cassani tried hard to calm his pounding heart and stepped forward.
He didn't care that his weight pressed against the person in front. Moving like that, a space opened up. Cassani slipped through the crowd and moved forward.
Towards the red sky.
A red sky that couldn't be seen on ordinary TV or photos. The same red, but dozens of different reds, scattered thickly like drops of different reds. The light blazed intensely.
It felt as if the sun was swallowing the entire red sky. The light scattered in many directions, and the brilliant light cast and erased shadows on the painting.
Like clouds flowing, dozens of figures making up the red sky appeared and disappeared repeatedly.
They were people.
Hundreds, thousands of people flowing like waves in the light, each step forward made them appear vividly. It felt like the countless people you meet walking through downtown Florida were contained there.
An evening sunset made of an uncountable number of people.
At dusk, the sky dyed red by sunlight, people walking below with red shadows... that scene was contained there.
The scattered light seemed to capture that moment infinitely. Every time the light moved, the scene changed. Because all the hundreds or thousands of people inside were different.
"That's why it's called Sunset..."
It was mesmerizing.
But before Cassani could come out of the trance, he was pushed sideways.
"Isn't that Kang Seok?"
"What?"
What? What? Cassani tried to brace his feet to enjoy the view a little longer, but there was no way against a dozen people pushing him.
Like being caught in a wave, Cassani was pushed back to a black room far away. He turned his head and looked back at the white room. It was packed with people. Turning back there now would be a nuisance.
He hadn't finished admiring it... Thinking of going around once more to see the red sunset again at least, at that moment...
Light?
White light pulled Cassani's eyes.
Instinctively chasing the light in the darkness, Cassani turned his head.
Ah...?
Cassani froze, staring blankly ahead. His trembling pupils had returned to those of a child.
There was
About a hundred glass figures lit from behind, light passing through colored glass carrying the color and shooting out a sculptural image.
Dusk.
The red light spreading around the setting sun.
It was the same red light, but different from before.
If
Cassani wasn't especially good at distinguishing colors, but somehow he felt breathless.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Simone. Look over there. I went there today. See it?"
"...I can't really see well."
"Haha. Maybe Simone's still too short. Here, Dad will lift you up."
"Careful! You'll scare Simone!"
"It's okay. It's okay. Here, Simone!"
"Ah, wait a minute, wait... whoa!"
It was a scene he had seen before.
Cassani covered his mouth with his large hand. His eyes automatically squinted—not because he felt bad, but because it brought back memories from childhood that could never be recreated.
When he was young, he lived in Italy with his parents, who were swallowed by the sea. Though he lived busy days, on weekends they went on family outings every other week.
One day in childhood.
The sunset he saw in Florence, Italy, looked exactly like this.
Cassani swallowed. His eyes reddened like the sunset. Like nailed to the ground, he gazed endlessly at the work. Even as people pushed, Cassani wouldn't give up his spot as if his ankles were tied to rebar.
How long had he been admiring the piece?
At some point, he felt someone tapping his shoulder.
"What?"
Cassani looked over with a flushed face.
After staring at the light for so long, looking at the darkness made his facial contours unclear. But his face, full of annoyance at being disturbed, softened instantly.
Though his face was barely visible in the dark, he knew immediately.
"Seok."
"(Cassani. You came, my friend.)"
Though it was a short sentence, Cassani felt a lump rising in his throat, which he had to swallow back.
How to describe this feeling? Even though Kang Seok didn't make this for him, he somehow felt like he had received a gift.
Cassani bit his lower lip with his small canine. He wanted to say thank you for showing such work, but words wouldn't come.
Overwhelmed by some numbness, Cassani swallowed his feelings deeply. So much so that he didn't even realize someone was leading him out of the booth. Nor did he know that he was experiencing Stendhal syndrome.
Feeling his breath quicken, Cassani was pulled out into the light.
"(You should rest a bit, friend.)"
His pounding heart. Cold sweat. Dizziness. Faintness. Fever. Shortness of breath. Weak legs. Convulsions. Feeling all of these, Cassani looked up following the voice.
His friend Kang Seok, with a blank expression softened by a touch of kindness as he handed him water, looked like... the archangel Michael from legend, the angel who guides souls to death.