1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 301 Uneven Artistic Levels

Gold's activities surrounding 'Land Art' began at the end of January and continued until mid-to-late February.

The highlight of the event will undoubtedly be the live creation by British sculptor Andy Goldsworth in mid-February, but some smaller events and exhibitions have also begun to be held recently, serving as a warm-up for February.

Cotillard sent Ronan's work to Gold, where he met Vivian, whose work is on display today.

Although the organizers did not make it mandatory, many artists still chose to attend and "showcase" their work. Just as Zoe said, it is too difficult for young artists to make a name for themselves in Provence. They must seize every opportunity to showcase their work.

Not every Lourmaran artist successfully joined Gold's event; some were rejected after multiple submissions. However, Vivian was lucky; one art event accepted her application.

This should have been a happy occasion, but the female painter began to 'complain' as soon as she saw Cotillard:
“You have no idea how ‘low-class’ my exhibition was. There were elementary school students’ pencil drawings and vases made by amateurs on display with me. I was so proud of myself for finally coming to Gold and participating in this ‘grand event’. I bet this project didn’t have any judging criteria at all; they just accepted everything that was submitted!”

Cotillard's face alternated between pale and flushed.

“Lilith and Alger also applied for the project, but they were both rejected.”

Vivian's expression instantly became quite interesting.

Are Lilith and Alger's works not even as good as those of elementary school students?

Cotillard didn't want to continue this somber topic. Having been in charge of submitting exhibits for everyone, she had recently gained a clear understanding of the uneven professional standards of Lourmaran artists.

Art requires talent.

Some people are very hardworking and diligent, and they also have a positive attitude, but the things they make just aren't good enough. However, some people only cook a few times a month, but they are just so talented!

Ronan, you know who I'm talking about, right?

"Alright, alright, just participating is a victory. Hurry back to the museum, what if some great master takes a liking to your work? Everyone walking on Gold Street these days is extraordinary." Cotillard tossed his hair. "I'm off too, to deliver my work to Ronan."

This is by no means a perfunctory remark.

It's still just the warm-up phase, but Gold already has five or six art exhibitions and events on display.

At its peak in early February, there would be more than a dozen events taking place simultaneously.

Not only French artists, but also artists and enthusiasts from all over Europe will visit Gordes during this period.

Winter is the off-season for tourism in Provence, and with the recent cold snap, the villagers won't be out and about at this time.

In Gold in January and February, you might bump into someone who could be a master or a famous art collector.

Go back to your work and make it recognized!

Vivian suddenly tugged at Cotillard:

Which exhibition is Ronan going to present to?

Cotillard said with a smile:
"An art exhibition hosted by Rodrigo".

She is confident that the submission process will go very smoothly!
Vivian immediately bristled and said:
"No, no, no, don't go today. Let's go another time. Someone just saw Rodrigo with a few people to Gold Castle. Normand, the director of the Granet Museum, was there. Everyone guessed that the group was full of VIPs from the Granet Museum. You know how high the Granet Museum's standards are for artworks. I'm afraid they might influence Rodrigo's decision."

The Grané Museum, located in the old town of Aix-en-Provence, is one of the most important art museums in the region, renowned for its rich collection of classical art and its deep connection with the Impressionist master Paul Cézanne.

Ronan's works are of a very unique genre.

Vivian was worried that those 'old relics' would influence Rodrigo's decision, and that the desserts would definitely not be allowed into the Grané Museum.

Codia knew the style of the Grané Museum better than Vivian.

She is already considered Zoe's half-agent, and last year she helped Zoe and the Grané Museum make several dealings.

They were indeed a group of arrogant, picky, and difficult-to-talk-to fellows.

“But today is the last day.” Cotillard’s smile faded, and he said seriously to Vivian, “I’m not leaving this morning. I want to hear with my own ears what they think of Ronan’s work.”

The art events that opened at the end of January were all small in scale, with the aim of warming up the "main course" in February and not "stealing the show". Some of the event venues were temporary structures, while others were rented art shops.

But the reason Rodrigo's art exhibition opened at the end of January was that the venue he rented was the same as the main venue for this event—Gold Castle.

In early February, Gold Castle was to be requisitioned by Andy Goldsworth's team, so Rodrigo had to move up his exhibition dates.

“Oh dear, DRAC (the French cultural heritage agency) only granted me 7 days. They said I might damage the artifacts in the castle. How could I damage artifacts? I am someone who respects history and artifacts so much!”

In the castle's main hall, Rodrigo, with his long, light blond hair and slightly curled ends, complained in a tone of 'incomprehension'.

He was followed by seven or eight people, all of whom were quite old. The leader was an elderly man with dark brown hair, a high nose, and gold-rimmed glasses.

It was Normand, the director of the Granet Museum. This was Rodrigo's first exhibition, and he had invited this true 'big shot' of the Provençal art world to come and give his opinion.

Normand chuckled softly, his voice deep and magnetic:

“You only submitted your application to DRAC two months before the event, while others who want to rent Gold Castle have to apply at least six months in advance. They’ve already been very accommodating to you, Rodrigo.”

Rodrigo muttered discontentedly:

“Yes, I paid a higher rent and insured the artifacts here for hundreds of thousands of francs. Why can’t they allow me to open earlier? Seven days is hardly enough time to fully display all the excellent works I’ve collected.”

Rodrigo kept talking to himself, his somewhat shrill voice echoing throughout the empty castle.

Normand turned to look at someone, who immediately interrupted Rodrigo's rambling:

"The exhibition setup is excellent, with a distinctive theme that highlights the regional charm of Provence. Shall we go take a look at the artworks?"

"Great, great, great!" Rodrigo smiled excitedly. "I've collected a lot of good works this time. Come and see which ones would be suitable for the central hall."

Although it was a small exhibition, Rodrigo made it look like the Louvre.

He temporarily divided the Gold Castle into several exhibition areas to display works of different 'levels'.

The central hall is located in the focal area of ​​the castle's central axis, and it will display the most exquisite items from this event.

“Okay, let’s go see what good works you’ve received this time,” Normand said with a smile.

The people following behind him exchanged glances and revealed knowing smiles.

Rodrigo is known for his 'curiosity', and all the works this time were personally selected by him, so the warehouse must be extremely 'exciting' right now.

On the way to the warehouse, Rodrigo's assistant jogged up and said that another artist had brought in a piece of work.

"Huh? It's only arriving now?" Rodrigo grumbled, dissatisfied. "Isn't today the deadline?"

The assistant said cautiously:

"The deadline is this afternoon, so strictly speaking, you can still submit your application now."

Rodrigo's heart was already with the warehouse.

Today, he invited only the most talented people from the Grané Museum who are in charge of display and selection. I believe that with their guidance, the central exhibition hall will be absolutely spectacular.

"Rejected, rejected. They said I wasn't interested." Rodrigo continued walking forward without stopping.

“But—” the assistant said hesitantly, “but this creation is very special; it’s a dessert.”

"Desserts?" Rodrigo slammed on the brakes, his expression immediately changing. "We'll have to go see. Where are they?"

Rodrigo looked very eager and anxious, and quickly distanced himself from the Grané Museum crowd.

The people behind them suppressed their laughter and began to whisper among themselves.

"It really is a garbage dump; they throw all sorts of things here."

"I guessed this would be the case before I came. Please speak up more when we're selecting products. I'm not one to lie."

"Alright, everyone just bear with it. Rodrigo donates money to the museum every year. Without him, our activities wouldn't be so frequent."

Walking in the middle of the crowd, the curator Normand adjusted his cuffs and said lightly:
"We only need to flatter Rodrigo as a person, not as a work of art. Good is good, and bad is bad. You don't need to find reasons to make him happy later, just tell the truth."

“Yes, curator.” the others replied.

Normand led a few people to a lounge and saw Rodrigo listening to a woman with an afro talking, while a small object sat on the table in front of him.

With the curator's support, everyone at the Grané Museum gathered around to give their opinions.

But when they saw what was on the table, they immediately fell silent.

It was indeed a dessert, but a themed dessert.

Moreover, the theme of this dessert is very 'clear' and 'comprehensive'. You don't even need to look at the description next to it to know why this dessert was created.

Rodrigo produced a single-lens reflex from somewhere, put it on, frowned, and muttered to himself:
"Did the inspiration come from the previous cold snap?"

His voice interrupted the observation of the group at the Granet Museum, who then looked at the title of the artwork next to the dessert—Hope.

(End of this chapter)