1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 302 You have created a true work of art.

Rodrigo straightened up and asked Cotillard:

"Is there no description of the work?"

Typically, artists submit their works along with a "detailed" description.

Some people are even so depraved as to write a book about the past and present of a work of art.

But Rodrigo didn't see anything this time; it seems that only one work was sent?
Cotillard shrugs:

"The author said that if the evaluation is successful, he will personally introduce the theme and creative process to everyone."

One of the Grané museum staff members behind Rodrigo, bending over to observe, spoke up:
"Don't rely on narratives in art. I think the theme and the content that this work wants to express are very clear."

Another person spoke up:

"That's right, the theme of this work is very clear. The black chocolate shavings represent the earth, and the theme of 'hope' is reflected in the grapevines, fruits, and flowers on top. I guess the artist wanted to express the hope that these things would successfully sprout in the spring."

"It's very clever. The theme is perfectly timed, and the hope expressed in the work is exactly the hope of all the people of Provence right now. It's brilliant."

"And the craftsmanship is also very exquisite. Well, although I haven't seen other dessert art pieces, it can definitely be called an 'art'."

The professionals who had initially come with the intention of finding something rubbish changed their tune and began to offer serious critiques. After listening attentively to all their praise, Cotillard gracefully tossed her hair and said in a tone that said, "You're all still too young."
"You haven't yet deciphered the full theme the author wanted to express."

"How could that be?" someone frowned. "Then what do you think its theme is?"

Cotillard chuckled twice:
"Didn't you hear what I just said? I said that if this work can pass the selection, the author will personally introduce the theme and creative process to everyone."

You ask me, who do I ask?
Ronan didn't tell me either!

“No, no, ma’am—” Rodrigo took off his monocle, “How can I display this work without some explanation? Just a blank sheet of paper next to it?”

"It passed?" Godia's eyes lit up.

Ronan, you've really lived up to expectations!

I really impressed the staff at the Grané Museum!
“Of course!” Rodriguez suddenly bent down, admiring the work once more. “I love it, I love it so much!”

Just as Codia was about to ask about the next details, the curator Normand, who had remained silent until now, spoke up:

“Rodriguez, this is indeed a very good piece of art, but I don’t think it’s suitable for your gallery.”

"Why?" Codia and Rodrigo asked in unison.

Normandy shifted his gaze from Ronan's work and said in a calm tone:
"In fact, there have been artists who have created works using food before, but they inevitably encountered a problem—shelf life."

He pointed to the desserts on the table and said:
"How long do you think it can stay like this? Two days, three days? What will it look like after a week? This is the fundamental problem that prevents food from becoming art."

Codia had actually thought about this question.

Her solution was to store the artwork in a freezer and take it out only when it was ready for exhibition each day, which greatly extended its "freshness" time.

But before she could say anything, Rodrigo spoke first:
"Can't I just get a powerful cooling system? That way, this artwork can stay at a low temperature for 24 hours a day."

Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, he clapped his hands forcefully:

"I'll put this artwork in a separate room—no, no, I'll put it in the central exhibition hall and set the temperature there to below zero, so that visitors from all over the world can experience the natural disaster that the people of Provence just went through. Yes, yes, yes, that's so artistic! So artistic!!"

Codia looked at Rodrigo in disbelief.

It has to be you!
I knew that kid would come up with something 'unexpected'!

But this time I won't join the others in criticizing you, as long as you accept this work!

Ronan's work was exactly to Rodrigo's liking; he treated it like a treasure and no amount of persuasion could dissuade him—he was determined to acquire it.

A staff member at the Grané Museum whispered to the curator, Normand:
"Just ignore it? Let him run wild?"

Normand took off his glasses and said with a smile:
“A good piece of work is good, and a bad piece of work is bad. The reason for advising him is for other reasons. There is nothing wrong with the work itself. If he wants it, let him keep it. It's better than the broken tables and chairs he collected.”

After saying that, he put on his glasses, glanced back at the dessert called 'Hope', and sighed silently.

that's too regretful.

I wish this artwork could be preserved like other artworks made of different materials.

It truly fits the theme of this event perfectly.

On the morning of the third day, Ronan drove Cotillard, Zoe, and Batty to Gold to attend the opening ceremony of the Rodrigo exhibition.

Zoe and Batty have gone through a tough 'creative' period and are waiting for the events they'll be attending in February to begin; right now, they have nothing to do.

This is Ronan's first event as an artist, and as his girlfriend and 'teacher,' they feel obligated to support him.

“When you get there, close your eyes and ears and don’t listen to or watch what anyone says. Wait until Rodrigo and his friends arrive, then open your eyes and ears and interact with them properly,” Batty instructed Ronan.

Ronan looked over, puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

“It’s nothing—” Barty seemed unwilling to elaborate.

“Ronan isn’t that fragile. I’ve already briefed him on the possible scenarios for today.” Zoe turned to look at Ronan’s profile and said, “Rodriguez has a rather peculiar reputation in the Provençal art world. Some people might come to his exhibition with the intention of ‘watching him make a fool of himself,’ but remember, if you hear anything negative, it’s definitely not directed at you.”

Ronan smiled and nodded:

"I don't care about those things, as long as I get attention."

Cotillard grinned and shook his head:
"I advise you not to oversimplify things. You'll understand when you actually get to that situation."

Ronan was fully prepared to spend the morning in a 'pointing and pointing' environment, but he never expected that he would actually be facing an incredibly 'cold' environment.

Upon entering the central exhibition hall, Ronan thought that something unclean had come back to life in Gold Castle.

There is at least a 10-degree temperature difference between the inside and outside.

"Is Rodrigo crazy? I came to see an art exhibition, not to do performance art. Is he trying to freeze me to death?!"

"Damn it, I thought I'd be overwhelmed by his collection of works, but I didn't expect the temperature here to break me down. He really takes the unconventional approach to the extreme; how could he even come up with such a terrible idea?"

"I just want to see the famous artists who are participating in the opening ceremony. I'm not interested in his works at all. Does anyone know when they're coming?"

"They'll be here soon, their first stop is the central exhibition area!"

Ronan's work was placed in the center of the exhibition hall, surrounded by four huge machines that were constantly spewing cold mist onto the glass case.

"What's going on?" Ronan quickened his pace.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that not only was the artwork being stored away, but there was also a life-sized 'artwork introduction' displayed beside it.

The organizers used very beautiful words to introduce the theme of the work—drawing inspiration from the devastating cold wave that Provence had just experienced, and embodying the hopes of all the people of Provence.

Ronan burst out laughing.

That's great, that's great. Even he himself couldn't have told such a 'touching' story.

It's clear that Mr. Rodrigo values ​​this work highly.

Although the temperature in the central exhibition hall was cold, the artwork's "formation" was so unique that a number of visitors had gathered around it, and exclamations of surprise could be heard from time to time.

"Wow, it's dessert!"

"This is the first time I've ever seen anything made of dessert at an art exhibition. Only Rodrigo could pull this off." "But he can't let us freeze for the sake of his work!"

Shortly after, "public enemy number one" Rodrigo appeared in the central exhibition hall with his guests.

The unique environment here not only affected the tourists, but also the guests around him.

"Why is it suddenly so cold?" A white-haired woman in her fifties suddenly raised her eyebrows.

Rodrigo explained with a smile:

"First and foremost, we must protect a work of art. Secondly, Tiffany, don't you think we should draw the world's attention to the disaster that Provence has just experienced?"

As one of Provence's most famous artists, Tiffany swallowed the profanity that was about to spill, turned to her assistant to fetch her a dress, and then smiled at Rodrigo, saying:

“This is a very interesting topic. Now, show us your work.”

I'm an artist, how could I swear because of the temperature?
Rodrigo led the twenty-odd people to a dilapidated table and proudly introduced them:
"Now, what stands before you is—"

Before he could finish speaking, the artists rushed to comment with words like "extremely vicious."

As artists, we certainly can't lose our composure because of the temperature, but we can certainly "settle personal scores" when commenting on artworks.

Rodrigo, this place is full of garbage!!!

Of course, anger aside, renowned artists aren't that unprofessional. As Normand said, a good work is good, and a bad work is bad.

But can't we even say a few words when we encounter bad works?
Rodrigo's originally rosy complexion seemed to have been covered with a layer of frost.

Seeing that none of his three works had received any positive reviews, he led the group to his favorite piece of the day.

"Friends, what you see before you is the first artwork in the Provence Art Exhibition to be based on a dessert. Its name is—Hope."

"Is that why it's so cold here?" a middle-aged man with a hooked nose asked with a forced smile.

“Yes, Hugh, it’s a dessert, it will spoil if it’s not refrigerated.” Rodrigo shrugged.

Tiffany didn't rush to start scolding. She glanced at him and said calmly:

"This work is alright."

Rodrigo excitedly pointed to the description beside him and said:

"The brilliance of this work lies in its theme; take a look!"

The artists quietly read the description for a while, and then their gaze towards the dessert changed.

Because of their love for Provence, these artists put aside their previous prejudices and past entanglements, and gathered together in a rare manner, trying their best to maintain the dignity of Provençal artists.

Because of their love for Provence, when they saw this work, it seemed as if they saw hundreds of thousands of people from Provence.

The grapevines sprouting from the soil, the fertile fruit, and the beautiful flowers are exactly what the nature-loving people of Provence want to see now.

“It’s good,” Tiffany changed her tune. “This piece is quite good.”

Hook-nosed Yuge temporarily forgave the culprit behind the air conditioning malfunction, crossing his arms and saying:
“Every element in this work is a true reflection and representation of nature, and it is distinctive without being forced to adhere to a theme.”

After the artists finished commenting and praising him one by one, Rodrigo suddenly burst into a few triumphant laughs:
"You think that's all? That's all this work is trying to express? Wrong, wrong, wrong! The theme of this work goes far beyond that!"

Damn it, I finally got to 'hold my head high' for once.

Rodrigo shouted to the surroundings:

"Is the author here? Where is the author?"

Hurry, hurry, hurry and give me more face!
A tall, handsome young man with black hair and yellow skin walked into everyone's view.

“I am the author, Mr. Rodrigo.”

Rodrigo and the artists around him were all taken aback.

So young!

These days, talented young artists are a rare sight.

Rodrigo temporarily suppressed his doubts and said gently:
"Your name is Ronan, right? Quickly introduce the entire theme and creative process of your work to everyone."

Ronan leaned forward slightly, bowed politely to everyone, and said calmly:

“My name is Ronan. I have many identities. Artist is just one of them. I am a truffle hunter, a farmer, a market stall owner, and I also own a restaurant.”

He flashed a bright smile:

"The restaurant is in Lourmaran and sells Chinese food; their desserts are quite unique."

Zoe, Cotillard, and Batty behind Ronan all burst out laughing at the same time.

This kid hasn't forgotten to advertise even at this event!

However, they quickly looked back seriously, waiting for Ronan to continue.

What other themes could this work possibly have?
You can't tell at all!
Before formally introducing his work, Ronan first asked Mr. Rodrigo for a favor:

"Could you please turn off the air conditioning here?"

Rodrigo was taken aback:
"But it will change its appearance very quickly once the temperature rises."

Ronan smiled and said:
"Sir, may I ask what the theme of this event is?"

“Of course,” Rodrigo said, surprised.

Did the air conditioning damage the child's brain?

Why don't you go outside and calm down first?

Ronan's face showed no sign of joking; he said with utmost seriousness:

"Yes, it is nature, but is nature only good?"

Ronan turned and pointed to the lifelike desserts inside the glass cases behind him, his clear and crisp voice echoing throughout the central hall:
"Desserts melt and spoil, just like these grapevines, fruits, and flowers I made with chocolate and cream. They can't stay at their most beautiful forever."

"Two weeks ago, my friends and I fought against the cold wave for a week with all our might, but the result was devastating. I witnessed the grapevines die, the earth crack, and the fruit freeze to death in the soil. So nature gives us not only abundance, harvest and joy, but also destruction, decay, withering and pain. Only when this dessert is completely melted and rotten does nature reveal its full form."

Ronan continued speaking to Rodrigo in a pleading tone:

"So sir, please turn off the air conditioning so that the work will be 'complete'."

The once bustling central hall suddenly fell silent, with only a few echoes lingering in the background.

'Snapped--'

'Clap clap--'

Suddenly, a lone clap rang out.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the person clapping was Normand, the curator of the Grané Museum.

“I am honored to have witnessed the birth of this brief but magnificent work of art. My child, you have created a true work of art, unparalleled.”

(End of this chapter)