1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 348 The Terrifying Michaelland Magazine
Ronan's Chinese restaurant has been incredibly popular for a long time. Since last October, it has been the liveliest place in Lourmaran, attracting a large number of artists and art lovers.

But unexpectedly, the Lourmaran government also saw a surge in 'visits' in February.

The second wave of immigrants to Lourmaran is significantly different from the first wave that arrived at the end of last year.

The group that came last year were all unknown new artists.

As a representative of emerging artists in Provence, Zoe brought together a group of newcomers who, like her, wanted to make a name for themselves. They helped each other and worked hard to create together, with Zoe at the center.

The group of people who moved to Lourmaran after the Gold art event in February, or who intend to move to Lourmaran, is much more complex.

Among them are emerging artists seeking a richer artistic atmosphere, established artists looking for a change of scenery to experience art meccas, as well as businesspeople and enthusiasts working in art-related fields.

The complex demographics of the population lead to complex needs when they come to Lourmaran, and Louis is unable to give clear answers to some of these needs, so he has to take them to consult the government's attitude.

In the past week or so, the government has received an average of more than a dozen groups of art practitioners every day, and the questions they ask are all kinds of strange.

"Could those abandoned farmhouses on the earthen slope outside the village be connected and rebuilt into art studios?"

"The exterior wall of the house is too ugly. If I buy it, can I paint it a bright color and graffiti on it? Will the government interfere?"

Is the central old church square available for rent? Where in Lourmaran would you like to hold a small exhibition in the summer?

What government support policies are available for establishing art schools?

Faced with these bizarre demands, the Lourmaran government has only one attitude—full support and complete openness!
“Countless successful examples have proven that the influx of artists can not only change the cultural genes of a village, but also change its economic structure. Tourism, real estate, handicrafts and a series of other industries will be stimulated, allowing us to reduce our dependence on agriculture and at the same time connect Lourmarin with Provence and the world. Subsequent policies will all lean in this direction.”

At the government meeting, Blanco repeatedly emphasized the importance of artists to Lourmaran.

Sylvie couldn't help but want to scream again:
"I can't believe Lourmaran has attracted so many art lovers. This will make our application to the Vaucluse province even stronger!"

Artists, art studios, art schools, small exhibitions, and craft workshops—the influx of art practitioners has brought so many surprises and highlights to Lourmarin.

These surprises and highlights will surely impress the leaders of the Vaucluse province, who consider tourism a top priority.

Everyone was immersed in the joy of the possibility of receiving more funding and began to imagine what they could do to improve Lourmaran with the additional funds.

But Blanco calmly reminded everyone:
"Now is not the time to celebrate. Ronan, Zoe, and Batty have brought us so many valuable artistic resources, and we must cherish them even more. We must not make any mistakes in the work ahead. We have learned from the successful experiences of those star villages, but we cannot ignore the mistakes they have made."

Everyone quieted down and waited for Blanco to give them instructions for the next steps.

"In order to quickly attract artists, Mena Village successively introduced more than a dozen talent attraction policies in the late 70s. They did benefit from this, but also encountered huge problems - the art in Mena Village was too homogeneous, and 70% of the art shops were galleries, which brought many bad experiences to tourists."

Blanco looked at Sylvie and said:

“Whether it’s attracting businesses to the commercial street in the future or this wave of ‘immigrants,’ we must pay attention to the diversity of art categories. In particular, we have already formulated a development path for Lourmaran in the next few years to focus on niche and high-end industries, and we will focus on attracting and supporting niche craft industries, such as weaving.”

Sylvie said seriously:
"Yes, village chief."

Blanco then said to Claude:
“The artist community in Bonillo has developed a serious closed circle, making it difficult for them to integrate with the local villagers. Despite the existence of job opportunities in the village, the number of young people leaving has been increasing year after year. This phenomenon is very unhealthy, and you need to start paying attention to this issue now to avoid making the same mistakes. If necessary, talk to Ronan and seek his help.”

Claude nodded solemnly:

“Okay, I’ll find time to talk to Ronan about this.”

After assigning four or five more tasks, Blanco looked at the room full of people and said:

"Lourmaran's development has indeed lagged behind other villages, but precisely because of this, we have a unique advantage—we can learn from the successful experiences of countless predecessors and avoid the pitfalls they have encountered. Opportunity is right in front of us. Now is the best time to sprint with all our might and achieve a leapfrog development. Lourmaran will definitely be the most dazzling place in Luberon in the future!"

Mid to late November.

The Gold series of art events, which lasted for a month, has finally come to a successful conclusion.

The Provençal art world won, Ronan won, and Lourmarin won. For many, it was a perfect and meaningful event.

But the impact of this series of events on Ronan is only just beginning.

As Blanco said, the ripple effects of Ronan, Zoe, and Batty in Gold are far from over.

Ronan and Ines' meeting was postponed twice, and they finally met after Gold had returned to its usual calm.

The reason is that the editor-in-chief of Michelin magazine has too many events to attend in Gold, too many auctions to attend, and too many drinking parties to attend.

After finally setting a date, Ronan jokingly 'complained' as soon as he saw Ines:
"All the official business is finished, and it's only my turn now?"

Ines gave Ronan a very proactive and warm hug, patting him on the back and saying:
“What if I said that seeing you was also ‘business’?” Ronan took a step back, pursing his lips.

"Then I'm even more heartbroken, because I was the last one to be heartbroken?"

Beneath Ines' sunglasses, a kind smile rarely seen in her usual work setting appeared:

"It's precisely because you're the most important that I'm saving you for last. Let's go, I've made a reservation at a really nice restaurant."

Ronan thought Ines was joking.

What official business could he and the chairman possibly have to discuss?
Ronan didn't believe Ines really wanted to talk business until they arrived at a very luxurious restaurant that looked like it was for business conversations, and the waiter led them to a private room.

Ines wasn't the type to beat around the bush; after ordering, she immediately stated her purpose for meeting Ronan:
"I need your and Zoe's help."

Ines is the editor-in-chief of the renowned Michelin magazine.

Michelin Magazine covers a wide range of topics and is the largest local print media in southern France.

Such an important person needs our help?

Ronan immediately became serious and said:
What kind of help?

Ines placed her sunglasses on the dining table, resuming her usual serious demeanor.
"Michelin Magazine is going to enter the art field. We will soon launch a new magazine called 'Provence Art Review', which is positioned as the Michelin of the art world."

"Huh?" Ronan repeated in astonishment, "The Michelin of the art world?"

Suddenly, Ronan recalled the first time he heard about Michelin magazine.

Last year after Easter, his stall in the village of Mena appeared in a Provençal travel magazine called The Mifal Guide, which was modeled after Michelin's Green Book and Red Book, and was published by Michelin Magazine.

In this light, it's not hard to understand why Michelin wants to be the Michelin of the art world.

"The board believes there is much to be explored in the Provençal art scene, and now is the perfect time to enter." Ines speaks of work with an almost blinding sharpness. "So I came to Gold and showed the Provençal art world with my actions—Michelin Magazine has arrived."

Ronan didn't participate in the latter half of the Gold art events, but Barty and Cafu came to Gold every day, and the 'Lourmaran Handicraft Cooperative' stall is still there.

Every time he saw Batty, he would tell Ronan some fresh news about what was happening in Gold, and every time there would be something about Ines.

Ines, or rather the Close-knit magazine she represents, has too strong a presence in Gold.

To help Ronan understand quickly, Ines gave him a brief introduction to the contents of the new magazine:
“We will follow the style of ‘Michelin’ and compile a list of the top 100 artists in Provence. This list will be updated every year. If you have read ‘The Milfair Guide’, you should be able to understand what the ‘Michelin’ style is.”

Ronan had certainly read "The Mifal Guide," and loved it.

Because it tells the story of each restaurant in such a 'vivid' way, Ronan thinks it's even better than a gossip magazine.

But these are not the point.

The point is-

"What criteria were used to select the top 100 artists?" Ronan asked expectantly.

The 'Michelin' style is very popular among the locals in Provence.

Volunteers at Avignon and Marseille train stations distribute free copies of the Mifal Guide to tourists, which they consider to be the most authoritative travel magazine in the area, bar none.

This also demonstrates Michelin's considerable power in Provence, which, in some respects, is monopolistic.

If you are lucky enough to be among the top 100 artists, you will gain tremendous exposure.

Ronan certainly wanted to be on this list, and he wanted Zoe and Batty on it together, so he was curious about the criteria for selection.

Ines was very direct, so direct that Ronan was afraid.

She said without any emotional fluctuation:
“You don’t need to worry about what criteria we use for the selection. Just know that you and Zoe will definitely be on the list. And I hope you can get to a very high position. Ronan, that’s why I’m here with you.”

Ronan nervously glanced at the door of the private room to make sure it was closed properly.

God, is Ines going to 'praise' him and Zoe?

(End of this chapter)