I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords
Chapter 665 - 665 664. New Form of Expression_1

Chapter 665: 664. New Form of Expression_1 Chapter 665: 664. New Form of Expression_1 [Career Development Task]

[The means of communication in the past were restricted by perception, and expressiveness always has its limits. You have reached the pinnacle under the traditional forms of expression; it’s time to usher in a new era and become a true founder, leading a brand-new trend.]

[Task Requirement: Create a new form of expression]

[Task Requirement: Influence Humanity: 0/10,000,000]

[“They say the first person to eat crabs was brave, but what about the first person who drank milk?”]

Lu Ban looked at the distorted text and quickly began to think about how to complete this task.

According to the task description from Silent Lands, he needs to create a new form of expression before considering anything else.

The forms of expression in artworks are nothing but text, sound, images, and some arts also encompass touch and smell. There are even experiences related to taste, and it is said that some works require a heartfelt experience, something Lu Ban didn’t understand how to operate.

He decided to first take a look at those works, seeking inspiration.

After searching online, Lu Ban found that there was an art exhibition in Jiangcheng recently showcasing various artworks created by postmodernist artists.

After reading the introduction of the exhibition, Lu Ban felt it could be useful for this occasion, and he immediately booked a ticket.

Not long after he placed the order, Lu Ban’s phone rang.

He saw it was an unfamiliar number and answered the call.

“Is this Director Lu Ban?”

The person on the other end spoke very politely.

“Yes,”

Lu Ban replied, not knowing who it was.

“We are the organizers of the ‘Feel Modern’ art exhibition. We’ve just received a reservation for a visit to the exhibition. May I confirm if it was made by you?”

The person carefully inquired.

“Yes, it’s me. What’s the matter?”

Nowadays, since ticket purchases require real-name authentication, it wasn’t surprising that they knew Lu Ban had booked a ticket.

“Oh, nothing at all. It’s just that we’re somewhat apprehensive, worried that our artworks might not be excellent enough to meet your esteemed standards, Director Lu.”

The voice over the phone sounded very anxious.

“No problem, I’m just going to learn,”

Lu Ban said generously.

“Then… may I know if you will be coming in the morning or in the afternoon, Director Lu?”

“In the afternoon,”

Lu Ban replied, followed by a brief introduction to the condition of the art exhibition from the other party. The person also apologized for calling so late and disturbing Lu Ban’s rest before finally hanging up.

Lu Ban didn’t take this small episode to heart.

However, Cheng Junjie, the organizer of the exhibition and the industry association, became increasingly uneasy.

In fact, in the current circle, very few are solely dedicated to creating art, as after all, people need to eat. If paintings don’t sell and works don’t find buyers, how can an artist stave off hunger?

Even if you believe you have the talent of a Van Gogh, his works only became valuable after his death. In today’s competitive world, even if you die, your works may not necessarily become hot commodities, unless perhaps your death is somehow unique.

On the conventional track, most are academy-trained with bigwigs, who have a legacy, holding the reins. These bigwigs have profound skills, their paintings are popular, and consequently, their students and disciples’ work also sell at good prices, creating a cycle.

Others have to find a different path.

For example, those expressionists or postmodern styles, it’s impossible not to band together.

Most postmodern style works, when it comes to the general public’s aesthetics, are basically of the “I don’t understand, but I am deeply shocked” level. Ordinary people don’t get it, and the wealthy patrons spending money don’t really understand either.

But it doesn’t matter, as long as there’s a circle of mutual commercial hyping and endorsements, not understanding doesn’t hinder collecting.

So, some people in the circle start moving towards making their works more bizarre, more cryptic, increasingly incomprehensible, then find some predecessors to hype them up, and in this way, they create value on their own.

Ninety-nine percent, if not all, of the works at Cheng Junjie’s exhibition are created with this intention.

The master’s works are kept as the crown jewels, with the others serving as foils, organizing gimmicks to sell to nouveaux riches who like to buy art yet don’t really understand it, forming a sort of industrial chain.

Of course, even in such a situation, some works are just too outrageous and cannot be sold at all.

Take for instance a piece that was a mobile public toilet, the catch being that the door and the toilets were made out of transparent glass. The artist displayed it on the street for passersby to use, claiming it was a way to liberate oneself and return to nature.

Then there’s another piece that was an old, obsolete television containing an apple with a bite taken out of it. According to the artist, anyone could replace the apple as long as they took a bite out of the new one, which supposedly signified the mutation of humanity in the electronic age. Cheng Junjie couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

Another work was a mirror completely covered with yellow paint. Since the mirror’s surface was obscured by the paint, all one could see was yellow. The artist claimed it was a silent protest against the materialistic society, but unfortunately, it seemed no one was fond of this form of protest, and the piece wasn’t selling.

However, the artist who painted the mirror yellow still harbored a glimmer of hope since another postmodern visual artist was inspired after seeing the work and covered an entire mirror in red paint. This artwork sold for millions at an auction, so the yellow-painted mirror’s creator continued dreaming of his day to rise.

Cheng Junjie made this hasty call because he was worried that Lu Ban’s visit to the exhibition could cause some undesirable effects.

It must be known, Lu Ban is not one of those unsophisticated nouveau riche coal tycoons; he is a director who has made blockbuster movies and swept awards at artists’ galas, with artistic taste surely higher than most.

Cheng Junjie has seen those films himself. Not to mention some of the scenes’ arrangements—composition, coloring, presentation—he felt he could never learn them in his lifetime.

If someone like that saw through the art objects as mere tools for deception, Cheng could end up ruined.

Of course, there was another possibility: Lu Ban himself might not understand the artwork and be fooled into offering praise. In that case, the exhibition’s art pieces might all sell at high prices on the same day. However, this possibility seemed so slim that Cheng Junjie might as well purchase some lottery tickets and pray for a jackpot.

That’s why once he confirmed Lu Ban was indeed the person coming, he planned to arrange things overnight, tucking away the most absurd, blatant scams and presenting some respectable pieces instead.

Thinking this far, Cheng Junjie immediately called his media friends and journalists he knew, informing them of Lu Ban’s attendance at the exhibition. A simple report from them would pique others’ curiosity, and he could take the opportunity to sell more, thereby helping the industry to develop.

With these expectations, Cheng Junjie waited until the next afternoon.