1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 326 Commercializing Art
No wonder Cotillard was making a fuss.

It's truly baffling that artworks are put up for auction before the event even begins.

She and Zoe analyzed it for a long time but couldn't find a reasonable explanation.

"I've heard that some VIP collectors can see the works before the exhibition, so maybe Ronan's works will be available at VIP private sales."

"Impossible. If there were a VIP private negotiation session, the organizer would definitely inform us in advance when signing the contract. How could such important information be overlooked?"

"I've also heard that some artworks that the organizers highly regard will still be auctioned even if no one bids for them. Does the organizer think Ronan has potential?"

"That's unlikely. What if no one bids at the auction? That would be a huge blow to the artist, wouldn't it? Wouldn't that be like a 'public execution'?"

I've also heard...

Ronan, who was diligently absorbing knowledge in the field of art, couldn't help but interrupt them:
"Why do you add 'I heard' before every possibility you mention? Isn't there any more accurate possibility?"

Cotillard opened his mouth wide in an exaggerated manner:

"Do you really think Zoe and I know everything? These kinds of high-end art auctions are all closed to the public. We've never attended any of them; we've only heard about them."

Zoe added:
"Moreover, art auctions in Provence have their own unique format, which is quite different from the rules in other regions. It is difficult to understand them thoroughly by watching movies and reading books. We can only guess at possible situations based on what we have heard."

Suddenly, Cotillard excitedly put his hands on his hips:

"But I finally got to 'hold my head high' with you guys once, and I got to go to a high-end auction in Provence to see what it's like."

Zoe looked at Cotillard and said:

“We were able to ‘hold our heads high’ thanks to you. If it weren’t for your reminder, we might not have known about this opportunity until the event opened. You have no idea how many twists and turns I went through in the past when submitting my work to exhibitions. I simply couldn’t focus on creating.”

Ronan interrupted their mutual 'thank you' exchange and asked a crucial question:
“Let me tell you something that’s not just ‘hearsay’: can we say that our Lourmarin artists have finally squeezed into the heart of the Provençal art scene?”

Cotillard brandished her broom again:

“That’s right, you can understand it that way! The three of you got into five of the most important auctions, and the Lourmarin artist has finally stepped onto the stage of the Provençal art world! My God, we’re amazing!”

Zoe encouraged Ronan:
"You'll be the one to fire the first shot after Lourmarin officially lands on the Provençal art stage. Good luck tomorrow! Represent Lourmarin and give everyone a big surprise!"

The Provençal art world will use every means to attract the attention of visitors to Gordes to see art exhibitions.

Marecchall naturally took advantage of the rare occurrence of receiving two letters of intent before the art exhibition even opened.

The next day, the already highly anticipated central sculpture exhibition finally opened, fueled by various rumors.

After finishing his own exhibition, Rodrigo entered exhibition-viewing mode.

In the past week, he visited countless exhibitions, both large and small, and made offers for many works, but all with a casual attitude of "just making an offer".

If I get him, I'm happy; if I don't, it doesn't matter. I don't really like him that much.

But there's one dish that Rodrigo is determined to master: Ronan's desserts.

In fact, most collectors invest in art with a 'business' mentality, hoping that the art will appreciate in value in the future, and Rodriguez certainly thought so too.

But he differs from other collectors in one key way. While others may see Rodrigo's art collection as rubbish, he actually made a fortune from it.

He is a very successful businessman who profits from art.

Rodrigo once licensed his artwork to a well-known furniture company. At the time, a certain sofa was very popular in France, and Rodrigo had to share a portion of the proceeds with each sale.

He also industrialized several artworks, making a fortune.

Those artworks that other collectors deemed 'incomprehensible' or 'worthless' all, in Rodrigo's view, have enormous potential and a commercial market.

After all, a hundred years ago, no one believed that people could actually fly into the sky.

But now airplanes are a very common mode of transportation.

With his keen business sense, Rodrigo fell in love with Ronan's dessert art pieces at first sight and saw a new business opportunity!

That has little to do with the work's meaning, design, or story background.

Rodrigo saw the potential in dessert art as a novel category, and he also saw the connection between desserts and eating, an activity that humans cannot do every day. He believed that commercializing desserts could have enormous potential.

Unfortunately, 'Hope' could not be preserved, so there was little point in Rodrigo buying its copyright.

He said his purpose in going to Lourmaran to "talk" to Ronan was to discuss with Ronan whether there was any other commercial value to be explored for "Hope".

Although the discounts will be significant, there is still room for maneuver.

But now, an even better opportunity has presented itself to Rodrigo—Ronan has another dessert masterpiece that is equally remarkable.

Although Rodrigo hasn't figured out how to make more money from dessert art yet, and hasn't seen what the work looks like, he absolutely has to get the copyright.

If we miss such a great opportunity, who knows when we'll get another chance, because the popularity of a work is the foundation of its commercial value.

Who can guarantee that Ronan's next dessert will attract just as much attention and interest?
These are things that can only be encountered by chance and cannot be sought after!
So when the consultant for the central sculpture exhibition informed him of the exhibition information yesterday, Rodrigo expressed his interest even before seeing the works.

Unexpectedly, before he could express his opinion, someone else had already expressed interest because Rodrigo received a bidding notification later that day.

Rodrigo thought about it all night.

Who exactly is competing with him for this work?
Does the other party also share his determination to 'take them down'?

Rodrigo wasn't worried about losing the item; he had enough funds to acquire it, and besides, it wasn't made by a famous artist and wouldn't fetch a high price.

He was simply curious about the other person's purpose and identity.

So as soon as the museum opened today, Rodrigo came in.

If the other party shares his mindset, they will also be eager to come and see what kind of work they are determined to acquire.

Perhaps by observing silently, he could find out who the buyer is competing with.

Moreover, Rodrigo had a strong feeling that the person might be someone he knew.

(End of this chapter)