1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 330 A Successful Debut!
Gordes is the most famous bird-nest village in Provence.

Although small in scale, it boasts its own formal art trading venue—the Gold Castle Auction Room—thanks to its rich artistic atmosphere and historical heritage.

However, due to some well-known reasons, the auction for this Gold Centre series of art exhibitions will not be held here.

A temporary space has been set up inside the Gordes town hall for the Provence Arts Association to use for the next week.

The auction was by invitation only, so Ronan couldn't get in, but he waited outside Gold City Hall half an hour early.

He couldn't go in physically, but his spirit had to accompany Zoe; he wanted to personally escort Zoe inside.

Batistuta came along too.

The three Lourmaran players are now in a state of 'shared prosperity or shared ruin'.

Although yesterday's 'love story' was about Ronan and Zoe, Batti, also an artist from Lourmaran, also benefited a little – quite a few gossipy people came to him to inquire about Ronan and Zoe's love story.

As a result, the popularity of this knitting artist has also increased slightly.

“Gold is probably the village with the richest artistic heritage in Luberon, right? Not only does it have a dedicated auction hall, but if it gets occupied, the government can immediately set up a second venue. Even Mena Village can't compare to this level.”

While waiting for Zoe and Cotillard to appear, Batty initiated a casual conversation with Ronan about art-related topics.

Ronan turned to look at the art event promotional banners hanging on the exterior wall of the city hall and said:
“That’s for sure. Blanco said that Mena village only began to transform in the late 70s and gradually attracted artists, but Gold began to attract waves of artists to live there after World War II. In the art world, Gold is undoubtedly the most powerful in the Luberon region.”

Recalling his previous place of residence, Bati added:

“Valensole does host art events frequently, but if it’s going to be an auction, it’s in Avignon or other big cities. It’s not possible to hold auctions in the home of lavender.”

Ronan said in an envious tone:
“Valensole can at least host art events, but Lourmaran’s current facilities are simply incapable of hosting such professional events, let alone auctions.”

Over the past month, Ronan has been frequently visiting Gold, and he has clearly seen the power gap between Lourmaran and these popular villages—a gap that is multifaceted and multidimensional.

Only when Lourmarin has the capacity to undertake a major event in Provence, the 'Revitalization Plan', will it have truly taken the first step.

Ronan sighed silently to himself, "The task is arduous and the road ahead is long."

However, investing in 'potential stocks' also offers the highest returns.

I wonder if Blanco has changed the time he was supposed to send the report to the province of Vaucluse?

Ronan decided that once he finished dealing with things at Gold's, he would find time to talk to Blanco.

The two chatted for a while, and soon the main character of the day finally arrived.

Ronan's reaction was even more shocked than Cotillard's.

If he hadn't known that Zoe was attending as an artist, he would have thought it was some powerful collector.

None of the VIPs who were successively led in by the art consultant had the same 'impressive presence' as Zoe today.
"You look stunning today," Ronan said, showering Zoe with compliments.

Even before they got together, Ronan knew that Zoe was a versatile 'elf' who always looked like she was on a runway whenever she went to X.

Later, when she had more money, Zoe's wardrobe became more diverse in style.

Ronan has seen all sorts of styles, from teenage girls and students to mature women, intellectual women, sexy women, and rebellious women, but this kind of "powerful" style is something he's never seen before.

Zoe took Ronan's hand:

“After a successful auction, there is a brief ‘thank you’ segment for the artist. With so many collectors supporting us, I naturally want to prepare a ‘grand’ one.”

Seeing Ronan secretly observing her with a complicated expression, Zoe stopped in her tracks:
"What, you don't like my style today?"

Ronan shook his head violently:
"How could that be? It's just that I'm not used to it."

Cotillard pulled Zoe along, saying in a gloating tone:
"How could he not like it? He absolutely adores it! Let's go, let's go inside."

Batty checked the time:
"There are still more than twenty minutes left, what's the rush?"

Zoe stood on the steps of Gold City Hall and turned back to explain to them:

"There are still some procedures to go through before the auction. This is my first time participating, so I need to go in and observe beforehand so I can share my experience with you."

Zoe was the first of the Lourmaran trio to participate in the auction.

Seeing that Zoe and Cotillard seemed to be in a hurry, Ronan cut to the chase:

"Don't feel pressured, you've already done a great job, just relax."

Like her father Louis, Zoe is inherently competitive, and the involvement of so many collectors proves that Zoe is getting closer and closer to what she wants.

But it is precisely at times like these that you need to stay calm and not rush things.

Zoe comforts Ronan:

"Don't worry, I have a good attitude. Even if the auction fails for some reason, I won't be sad. I've already gained enough from this trip to Gold."

I gained fame, applause, and reputation, and most importantly, I gained your love. What more could I ask for?

"Pah, pah, pah, what nonsense are you talking about? It's impossible for it to go unsold!" Cotillard muttered in dissatisfaction.

Zoe looked up and gave Ronan a sweet smile:
"Go back to the sculpture exhibition and wait for me. I'll come find you when it's over."

Provence is a veritable visual gene pool of Mediterranean civilization and a cradle of modern art.

Countless renowned artists have emerged from and lived on this magical land; art is arguably ingrained in the blood of the people of Provence. Before the EU's unified art market regulations in 1992, Provençal art auctions had their own unique auction procedures and methods.

Not only is it unique in the world, but it can also be described as 'distinctive' even in France.

To ensure that all parties involved in the auction adhere to the Provençal auction style, a period of time is allocated before each auction to explain the rules.

Zoe and Cotillard arrived early specifically to hear this.

However, before entering the room to listen to the rules with the collectors, Zoe had one more step to complete.

Due to the heated discussions sparked at yesterday's sculpture exhibition at the center, the enthusiasm of collectors for her works, and the attention given to Zoe by the Provence Art Association, she has been officially and automatically classified as a 'famous' artist.

Famous artists have a special privilege at auctions.

"Now is your last chance to exercise your 'right to intervene.' Do you want to withdraw the auction of the exhibits or disqualify certain collectors from purchasing them?" the auction staff asked Zoe and Cotillard.

Artists’ right to intervene has been banned in many countries, but the Provençal art world has retained this privilege for a century.

Its core significance is to provide an anchor point for preserving the dignity of artists amidst the frenzy of capital, allowing them to determine the ownership and status of their works to the greatest extent possible.

In fact, Provence has also made some 'improvements' to this privilege.

In the 1970s, during an auction, a ceramic artist, dissatisfied with the buyers' lack of knowledge about the history of glazes and believing they were not qualified to collect his work, canceled the purchasing rights of five collectors on the spot.

To avoid unnecessary disruptions during the process, the Provençal art community stipulates that this privilege can only be exercised 10 minutes before the auction begins, and a designated person will make a final confirmation with the artist at that time.

If the artist doesn't use it, they can't comment on it later, no matter who it's sold to.

Zoe and Cotillard were already flattered by the sudden treatment they received as 'renowned artists,' and the more buyers there were, the higher the price their work was likely to fetch, so they certainly wouldn't exercise their 'right to interfere.'

"Okay, you can come in now." The staff member politely led them into the venue.

The auction is divided into morning and afternoon sessions.

Typically, the morning auctions feature artworks with a starting price of less than 1 francs.

The afternoon session is the 'Golden Auction,' featuring only the most important pieces.

Today's auction will feature many artworks.

Collectors sat together, and artists sat together in one area.

Zoe was among the first few to arrive.

But whether they arrived first or later, they couldn't help but take a few glances at her.

As a young artist, Zoe usually only hangs out with emerging artists.

However, the vast majority of those participating in the gold auction are well-known artists from Provence, or veterans who have been deeply involved in the industry for many years.

How many new artists can successfully enter the center's art exhibitions and have their works snapped up by collectors?

So this was Zoe's first appearance in the real Provençal art world.

And this debut was a great success!
"What a beautiful girl!" These veteran artists exclaimed in unison.

Looking at the designer brands in front of her, the artists became even more agitated.

In the past two days, the story of 'longing' has been making headlines in Gold, and everyone knows Zoe's name.

This unfamiliar face is actually that female artist?
The renowned artists Tiffany and Hugh, seated in the center of the first row, began to converse quietly.

"With popularity, reputation, and such great looks, it seems the rumors circulating outside aren't entirely unfounded. Perhaps she truly is the future of the Provençal art world," Tiffany remarked calmly, withdrawing her gaze.

“I think it’s more of a publicity stunt. You know, we need some ways to counter Andy Goldsworth, and she and that new artist named Ronan have become the lucky ones. Art is still about talent and the work itself; the voices from the sidelines don’t mean anything.” Hugh was one of the very few people who weren’t interested in Zoe, and he was already waiting for the auctioneer to appear.

Tiffany chuckled twice, then turned to her old friend beside her and asked:
"Yu Ge, how old were you when you first appeared on the 'Golden Auction'? She was in her early 20s and she was standing on the same stage as us. Doesn't that say something? Let me put it another way, I was 35 when I first appeared on the 'Golden Auction'. She has more than ten years more to strive for than me. Where do you think she can go in the future?"

Yu Ge frowned and slowly looked at Zoe in the back row.

Seating at Provence auctions is arranged by seniority, usually based on the number of times a participant has entered the "golden auction" to determine who sits in front and who sits in the back.

Tiffany's words gave Hugh a chill.

Will I look back at Zoe less and less often this way?

Suddenly, several melodious bells rang out from all around.

A middle-aged man dressed like a monk appeared in the arena carrying a wooden mallet.

He struck the mallet a few times with the mallet and said in fluent Provençal dialect:

"Now, I will read out the rules for this 'Golden Auction'!"

Cotillard and Zoe exchanged a quick glance.

I saw both curiosity and anticipation in their eyes.

Finally started!

(End of this chapter)