I Became A Renowned Genius At My Arts High School - Chapter 238



Only Noblemtl

Episode 238. The World Outside the Shell (1)

The art market is a complex structure.

If we try to look at it simply, we can divide it into the producer, the artist, and the consumer, the buyer, and the market where their transactions take place can be said to be the primary market, the gallery, and the secondary market, the auction.

The primary and secondary markets were well separated.

The biggest difference between them was that the primary market, the gallery, dealt with the works of living artists, while the secondary market, the auction, dealt with the works of deceased artists.

But in 1973, that convention was broken.

A collector appeared at an auction and declared that he would sell works by living artists under his own name.

And that’s about 50 points at a time.

The market was shocked.

Auctioning the works of a living artist?

Is the collector having financial problems? Or has the artist’s work depreciated in value? Why is he trying to sell it off so quickly?

A taboo behavior.

Concern about negative signals.

But this interest instead created a buzz in the media, and the first auction to sell works by a living artist became a huge success.

After that, it was only natural and obvious that the auction landscape would change.

“Do you know how much the return on resale of art is? It can jump from 10 to 100 times in 20 years. So it is inevitable that interest in art investment will increase.”

The next day, Walter met her again at a cafe in Manhattan and, with his mouth open, explained to Soo-hyeon the growth path of the secondary market.

“New York in particular is a place with a lot of newly rich people. Young rich people are looking for a way to make their money grow quickly while keeping it safe. Art investment is a very attractive investment for them.”

A snobbish Englishman, he had a great affection and pride in his art collecting, which had been started by his great-grandfather, and he was well-versed in the physiology and history of this market.

Having witnessed the shift of the center of the art market from London and Paris to New York, he quickly responded and accumulated wealth and fame, while also closely observing how Paris, the home of luxury brands, was influencing contemporary art and preparing for a comeback.

He said that he decided to devote his energy to something new and interesting.

That’s why I asked to see Soohyun separately today.

“In the auction market, the presence of collectors has become more important than just the artwork and the artist.”

Walter shrugged.

“Of course, even before that, the names of famous collectors were often mentioned among those who knew this market well. Because the value of a piece of art was raised based on who owned it. So what I’m talking about is not that old story, but the general public. I’m saying that the presence of collectors is growing significantly among newcomers to the market.”

Soo-hyun nodded, understanding the gist of it. It was a part that was easy to understand when she recalled her memories of her previous life.

The personal belongings and collections of famous celebrities and influencers have often been the subject of interest.

Among the upper class and celebrities, there were many who had a strong desire to show off their refined and unique tastes, and they were especially fond of showing off the items they had won through competition.

Art auctions, where the power of capital can monopolize tastes, were a sophisticated way to realize the complex desires of such people.

“Soohyun is still focusing on her art work, but she also needs to study the flow of the art market. Depending on whether she knows it or not, her goals and direction will change, and it will determine whether she becomes a star artist or not.”

Walter said, sipping his sweet cocoa.

In fact, he has been looking for this opportunity for a long time.

A rookie with endless potential.

A writer who has the potential to rise to fame with just a little marketing, while also having an inner strength that won’t fade away easily.

Su-hyeon was a talented person who I coveted, and a writer who I wanted to nurture.

I also liked that he was from an Asian country that has recently experienced tremendous economic growth.

Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, known as the four dragons of Asia.

Among them, Korea is a market with great potential for future growth as it has no tariffs on art.

A market with limitless potential, as a group of writers representing it has not yet been properly formed.

Ugh.

Walter whetted his appetite.

In Korea, Kang Yu-jin of Ilseon Art Center and in New York, Jacqueline of J-House stood as Han Su-hyeon’s strong protector.

While this gave him confidence that his insight was not wrong, it also created regret that it was not easy to approach the artist due to gallery management.

However, thanks to a chance encounter with Soo-hyun in the hallway of the H Hotel banquet hall in Manhattan a few days ago, I was able to seize a small opportunity that could have led to a big one.

This time, Walter really wanted to solidify his relationship with Soo-hyeon.

“There’s a guy named Harry. He’s a Jewish-American who got rich in the transportation business.”

Walter revealed why he came to New York.

“He recently gathered some famous collectors. Oh, he’s a very famous collector too.”

“is it so.”

Soo-hyeon blinked and answered.

As she was busy getting to know and developing relationships with world-class artists and galleries, Su-hyeon was not yet deeply familiar with the world of collectors.

In any case, it was impressive that Walter, who had been emphasizing the growth of auctions and the status of collectors, mentioned someone else’s name instead of his own.

Soo-hyeon stared blankly at Walter, waiting for his next words.

“That Harry created the foundation. It’s called the A Moment Foundation, or AMF for short.”

“Does A stand for art?”

“It also means the beginning of everything. Anyway. The collectors who gathered at this foundation have one thing in common. They collect works by contemporary artists.”

Only then did I realize what Walter was trying to say.

Walter, who decided to actively pursue the discovery of contemporary artists, signed up for a foundation created by so-called successful collectors among like-minded collectors and decided to exert influence.

The reason I bring that up is not because I have nothing to brag about.

Is this an expression that you are interested in me too?

As Su-hyeon tilted her head, Walter went straight ahead.

“We have entered an era where the value of a work of art can greatly increase depending on the interest of collectors. I have consistently been interested in Su-hyeon’s work, and I plan to recommend her work to our foundation. She is a contemporary artist who deserves attention.”

“Me?”

“Surely Soo-hyun, you don’t think that if the price of the artwork rises significantly in the secondary market, it’s only good for collectors, and it has nothing to do with the artist, do you?”

Walter grinned.

It was an explanation that was given out of consideration for Soo-hyun, who was still twenty-two, but Soo-hyun was not the one who couldn’t understand it.

“If you make a name for yourself in the secondary market, it will eventually affect the prices of your early works. Your next exhibition may be different.”

“That’s right. That’s it. In the end, it’s a win-win for the gallery, the auction house, and the artist. It’s a symbiotic relationship.”

Walter nodded with a satisfied smile.

“So, Soo-hyun.”

“yes?”

“Would you be willing to give me the honor of seeing some of your recent work and some of your upcoming projects?”

“My work?”

“There is no problem because there is a lot of information available on the works on the market. That is enough to convince the foundation people. However, in order to predict and lead the market, more information is needed.”

“ah.”

When Soo-hyeon looked embarrassed as if something was rushing, Walter leaned against the table and tried to persuade her.

“I’m not asking you to do it right away. We also need time to discuss and prepare. We just need something light to talk about. In some cases, we may be able to give you some ideas for the material.”

“Hmm. I’ll think about it.”

Su-hyeon smiled and nodded.

An influential group of collectors who focus on collecting works by contemporary artists.

It was clear that something big had caught their attention.

An opportunity that some people desperately want but never get.

Walter held out his hand, saying he would give it to Soo-hyeon.

It was certainly a grateful thing, but Soo-Hyeon didn’t want to rush it.

For Su-hyeon, paintings were pieces of the world that came from deep within.

Although they have been laid out one by one calmly, they have never yet revealed what is at the bottom.

For a moment, a fear rose from the depths of my heart that someone might mess with it and ruin it, that I might lose my balance.

Above all, Soo-Hyeon still didn’t know exactly what she wanted.

I just wanted to draw.

I think I want to convey a certain feeling with that.

I felt satisfied and happy with the pleasure of communicating with the other person through that.

However, according to Walter, now Soo-hyeon has to think about the paintings she wants while also thinking about paintings that will sell.

To gain an edge in the auction market, you will need to produce more works, and at some point, you will need to rush to release results that are not yet organized.

To become a star writer, Su-hyeon will have to handle many other things that she could never have imagined.

Soo-hyun needed time to think about that part.

To be precise, after much thought, it took time to figure out a proper way to deal with him.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of, Soo-hyun. This is like a predetermined fate or order.”

Walter smiled broadly, setting down his empty cup of cocoa.

“Accept it. Don’t doubt your sudden good fortune.”

“Yes. Anyway, thank you very much for your kind suggestion.”

Su-hyeon greeted politely.

Walter nodded, feeling more and more fond of Soo-hyeon’s careful appearance.

“Okay, let’s see you in two days.”

“Two days later?”

“It’s the auction I mentioned yesterday. As expected, I checked and it looks like Director James Lee and Kang Yu-jin will be there too. So, Soo-hyun, come along too. Let’s experience the atmosphere of the auction and talk about it. I think seeing it with your own eyes and feeling the atmosphere will help you organize your complicated thoughts.”

“Yes. I heard about it. My friends were curious, so I thought we should go see it together.”

“Good! Actually, our foundation people will be there that day. Hmm. In a few months, we are also planning to auction off our collections under our name. Anyway, it would be nice to get to know each other like that. It would be a natural meeting that is not forced!”

Walter, who had been talking about something heavy the whole time, finally returned to his original boisterous self and put on a playful expression.

“It will be fun. It will be interesting to see what fate art will have once it leaves the hands of its creator.”

Walter boasted, and Soo-hyeon nodded slightly and smiled.

Until then, Su-hyeon had vaguely thought that it would be a fun event.