Van Gogh Reborn! - Chapter 138

Title: Everrich Museum of Art 

From: Robert_Reed 

To: Ferdi_love 

Hello, Ferdinando Gonzalez. 

I’m Robert Reid, curator of the Everrich Museum of Art. 

Thank you for your request to exhibit your work. 

We believe that your proposed new works, “79kg” and “34kg,” will present new possibilities to form a unique discourse. 

The Everrich Museum of Art hopes to display your artwork and will discuss details including how it should be displayed and sold. 

Please contact the direct number provided below. 

We shall be waiting for your reply. 

Ferdinando Gonzalez looked at his smartphone with a blank face. 

“What, did it not work out?” 

Ferdinando’s lover Louis asked. 

“No. they want to talk about it,” 

Louis grinned as Ferdinando showed him an email from the Everrich Museum of Art. 

“Look, you don’t have to worry,” 

Ferdinando Gonzalez looked at his lover Louis pitifully. 

Louis, who had a strong body weighing 174 pounds has changed into a figure with bare bones and now weighs only 75 pounds.

It was all the more regrettable that he lost all his bravado and is now having a hard time even speaking. 

“By the way, how much is it all? It’s going to cost you some money. You said 130?” 

“Uh.” 

Louis calculated the cost of displaying the works of Ferdinando Gonzalez, who requested 130 art galleries around the world, and since no museum rejected the work of the great Artist, he had to prepare 130 pieces of 79kg and 34kg candies. 

Louis never bought candy in large quantities, and he was used to pounds rather than kilograms, so he couldn’t know the exact price. 

So Louis asked. 

“How much is a kilogram?” 

“About $25?” 

“Wow,” 

Louis exclaimed. 

It was only speculation because there are differences in prices from country to country, but considering the cost of materials installed in 130 art galleries alone, it cost nearly $370,000. 

Moreover, as time went by, maintenance costs increased astronomically. 

It was hard to predict how much money it would cost because it would allow people to eat candy freely and supply it indefinitely until the museum gave up. 

“If I knew you were this rich, I should have gotten some more brandy.” 

Ferdinando Gonzalez smirked at Louis’ joke. 

“only brandy?” 

“Yes, just brandy?” 

There was silence between the two who laughed quietly. 

Knowing that there was not much time left to talk like this, Louis wanted to share anything and everything, even if it was meaningless. 

“It’s a nice day,” 

Ferdinando Gonzalez nodded his head. 

“I’d love to get a tan.”

Louis opened his mouth after a brief interval. 

“I’d like to ask you a favor,” 

Ferdinando Gonzalez raised his eyebrows and didn’t say anything. 

“If the hospital says I’m going to die, please bring me some brandy. I’m fighting against it now, but I wanted to feel the luxurious taste at my last moment.” 

“…Yes, let’s have a toast,” 

Gonzalez replied with difficulty. 

“What are you talking about?” 

Louis said emphatically. 

“Do you want to damage the already damaged liver? I’m the only one who’s going to drink.” 

“Hey.” 

“Are you Jealous?” 

Gonzalez shook his head at Louis’ absurd question. 

Even in this situation, it was amazing that he brought up jokes. 

“Anything else?” 

“What?” 

“Anything you need?” 

“Well,” 

Louis turned around and looked at the drawer next to his bed. 

“Open the drawer.” 

“This one?” 

“No. Bottom.”

Gonzalez opened the third drawer. 

A small box was placed in the drawer. 

Looking back, Louis was just laughing. 

“What is this?” 

” Open it.” 

Gonzales opened the box. 

He took out two rings sitting side by side and examined them. 

The initials of the two men were engraved inside. 

“When…” 

“I forgot.” 

Gonzalez looked at the wedding ring carefully. 

If his partner wanted to get married, Gonzalez would have done anything. 

But, Louis did not want to make the position of his celebrity lover difficult, in a society where prejudice is still prevalent. 

It has been a long time since the Republican Party, which has many conservative figures, came to power. 

Louis thought that if Gonzalez was found to be gay, it would be a major obstacle to his artistic activities. 

Louis, who wanted his lover to be judged only by his work, dissuaded his lover from coming out, again and again. 

“Let’s put it on.” 

Louis struggled to raise his left hand. 

Gonzalez took out the ring and put it on Louis’ finger. 

His thin ring finger looked more pathetic. 

“The ring is huge. It used to be perfect.” 

Louis laughed bitterly. 

Gonzalez handed the ring to Louis and asked him to put it on his finger. 

Louis barely lifted the ring and pushed it on Gonzalez’s finger. 

“It fits.” 

“Perfect.” 

The pair grinned looking at each other. 

As the time for the short visit came to an end, it was time to say goodbye. 

Gonzalez got up. 

“I’ll come tomorrow, too.” 

“Okay,”

When Ferdinando Gonzalez turned around, Louis hurriedly called to him, 

“Hey, you have to take off your ring.” 

Gonzalez smirked as Louis pointed at the ring. 

“I don’t want to.” 

“What?” 

“It’s mine now.” 

“No…..that..” 

“I told you, it’s mine?” 

Ferdinando Gonzalez regretted what he had been trying to ignore because of his position out of the fear of criticism. 

He followed Louis’ advice because he was afraid of losing his hard-won base, but he was able to solidify his mind when he found out that Louis had hidden his desire to marry for a long time. 

“What are you talking about all of a sudden? Leave it now.” 

Ferdinand Gonzalez shrugged. 

“I don’t want to.” 

[Visibly thin Ferdinando] 

[Who shared the ring with the artist of the century?] 

[Caroline Streak, “The World’s Simultaneous Exhibition is a reflection of the times.”] 

[Ferdinando Gonzalez, World’s Simultaneous Exhibition] 

Ferdinando Gonzalez, an American artist who led conceptual art, will present a new work. 

Ferdinando Gonzalez said he is under contract with 130 art galleries around the world, adding that the works are not sold and are displayed semi-permanently. 

Officials said Ferdinando Gonzalez did not want any compensation. 

Meanwhile, Ferdinando Gonzalez has been in public for the first time in two months after losing his proud solid muscles, drawing fans’ concerns. 

The news about Ferdinando Gonzalez is buzzing.

It may be natural because he is recognized as a leading artist along with Henry Marceau and Aunt Mirae. 

It is also an exhibition at 130 art museums at the same time. 

Come to think of it, Aunt Mirae was also planning simultaneous exhibitions around the world, and I wonder how the two will present their works. 

As I thought about it in my own way, the flight attendant brought me in-flight meals. 

Chicken cooked along with tomato salad, pasta, and broccoli with cheese and dressing.

“Will Gonzalez’s work be exhibited in Korea?” 

I was on my way back to Korea and wondered if I would be able to see it in Seoul too, so I asked grandpa.

“It will be. I heard he commissioned the WH Art Museum.” 

It is the museum where my first individual exhibition was held with the help of Uncle Bang. 

It’s near my house, so I don’t think there’ll be a problem looking around. 

Grandpa doesn’t eat and thinks hard about something. 

“What’s wrong, grandpa?”

“No, let’s eat.” 

His face was full of worries and he was lying. 

When I kept looking at grandpa, he was forced to tell me the reason. 

“I promised not to tell anyone.” 

If that’s the reason, it can’t be helped. 

I nodded and moved the broccoli out from my plate and got scolded by grandpa. 

“Little Hun, you shouldn’t be picky. You should eat everything.” 

“It doesn’t taste good, grandpa.” 

“It’s good for your health.” 

“Grandpa doesn’t eat asparagus either.” 

When I fought back with facts because I didn’t want to put that green monster in my mouth. 

I wanted to tell grandpa that there’s something that everyone doesn’t want to eat. 

But instead of understanding, grandpa took the asparagus and ate it in one bite. 

“See? It’s now your turn.” 

I don’t like it, so I stared at the green monster for a while and forced it into my mouth while closing my eyes. 

To hide the taste, I dipped it in pasta sauce.

After finishing off the green monster, I looked at its companions paprika, water parsley, and garlic. 

I don’t know why I should eat them, I can live by just eating potato pizza.

“Ugh.”

Grandpa groaned when I roughly chewed and swallowed because I didn’t want to feel the taste or texture. 

It seems to be too much. 

After eating, and watching the news, I fell asleep….

– Ferdinando Gonzalez’s plans for simultaneous exhibitions around the world are expected to be disrupted. 

I woke up as I heard something about Ferdinando Gonzalez.

I checked the time and it seemed like I slept for about four hours. 

– Some of Ferdinando Gonzalez’s backers have expressed their intention to stop the sponsorship. 

‘What are they talking about?’ 

When I rubbed my eyes and looked at the monitor, the phrase [Ferrinando Gonzalez, shocking coming out] was displayed at the bottom. 

I didn’t understand what the newsreader was saying since it was reported when I was sleeping. 

“Ughhhhh.” 

Grandpa was frowning while watching the news. 

I took off one earphone and asked. 

“What’s going on, grandpa?” 

Grandpa breathed heavily and replied. 

“Do you remember the promise I told you a while ago?” 

“Yes.” 

“…It was about Gonzalez. I promised that I won’t tell anyone that he’s gay.” 

I was surprised. 

It was surprising that he was gay, but there was something that surprised me even more. 

I felt disappointment in the world which has developed a lot and has yet to escape from the brainwashing of the dogmatic church. 

“So they’re not going to sponsor?” 

Grandpa nodded. 

“……” 

The Whitney Biennale was full of really diverse works. 

Everyone respected each other in a very free atmosphere regardless of genre, form, and voice. 

In such a diverse society, I don’t understand why they are stopping the sponsorship just because he is gay. 

Love your neighbor as yourself is the first and great commandment of the bible and I don’t why they are forgetting that and following other things.

When I conveyed my thoughts, grandpa sighed again. 

“A person or group behaves more conservatively when it gets difficult.”

I think I know what grandpa meant.  

This was the case in the 14th and 16th centuries when feudal society changed and guns and cannons were invented.

Rather than adapting to a changing society, they tended to over-emphasize chivalry to promote a sense of privilege, creating a discipline that knights must do so, even though it does not match reality at all, and gradually degenerated into a closed society. 

A Spanish writer also satirized it with a novel called Don Quixote of La Mancha, saying ‘Christianity as a whole continues to decline. All that remains now is a place that strongly promotes doctrine.’ 

“What does that have to do with Gonzalez’s work?” 

“Because it has a strong influence. Even without that, the awareness of LGBT people around the world has improved a lot, and the conservatives feel a sense of crisis when celebrities like Ferdinando join in.” 

Do they think of it as a threat to their survival? 

“Was it supposed to be hidden?” 

“Even if it is legally permitted, the people who oppose it are strong. Especially from a vulnerable position, it’s scary.” 

It would be a great barrier for an artist whose life depends on his reputation. 

– Meanwhile, the Everrich Museum of Art, which had decided to exhibit his work, has announced that it will completely destroy the contract. 

“……”

– With many museums expressing support and withdrawing their plans, attention is being paid to the success of Ferdinando Gonzalez’s simultaneous exhibitions around the world.

I don’t know about religion. 

I don’t know about politics. 

I don’t know about LGBT either. 

But what I know is forcing people to do something that they don’t like is an act of violence. 

As an Artist, I want to help fellow artist, who tries to display the artwork that will be the last of his life. 

TRIVIA

174 lb is approximately 79 kg and 75 lb is approximately 34 g. 

New York State has legalized gay couples’ marriages since July 24, 2011.