The two journalists, pushed in by the crowd, paid attention to Cicci, who stood a bit away from the busy onlookers.
"Excuse me."
Romano, who had a cold appearance, approached Cicci, but retreated immediately upon catching her stern gaze.
Instead, Isabella stepped forward.
"Hello, I'm Isabella Bonucci from Vogue Italy."
Cicci's eyes sparkled.
'As expected.'
Straightening her posture, Cicci said,
"I am Cicciolina, the head secretary of Rosellini."
"Yes, Madam Secretary. May I ask you a few questions?"
Cicci, realizing the importance of marketing and publicity in a situation where even heavy advertising investment might not be effective, agreed readily.
"Of course."
"On my way here, I noticed crowds gathering like clouds. When did this scene start to unfold?"
Cicci, observing people closely inspecting the paintings, smiled slightly.
"It started ten days ago."
"Ten days ago?"
"Yes, back then, many people mocked us."
Isabella looked surprised.
"Who would mock such paintings?"
"Initially, it wasn't like this. As you can see, unlike now where both the ceiling and walls have become like a pond, back then, it was just a mess of dark blue paint smeared everywhere. I even heard passersby saying things like this."
"What did they say?"
"It looks like Milan has developed a bruise."
"Really? Haha."
"But now, many people come to see it."
"Right, this is Rosellini's flagship store, isn't it?"
"That's correct."
"In fact, before coming here, I finished covering the Roseto Valfortore village and factory site."
"Oh, I haven't received any reports about that."
"Yes, since we didn't have permission for a factory tour yet, we only took exterior shots."
"If you leave your business card, I will arrange for a tour and coverage of the factory's interior."
"Thank you. When is the official opening?"
"We plan to start with a VIP pre-opening once the prototypes are ready, which should be in about a month."
"May I ask about Ban, the artist who painted these?"
"I can tell you what I know."
"I haven't heard of Ban in the art world; is he a famous artist? His work is quite remarkable."
After a moment of thought, Cicci spoke.
"According to CEO Monica, he is very famous in Korea."
In truth, Cicci only knew a few things about Jung Hoon's activities in Korea from Monica. While these weren't enough to label him a famous artist, promoting Jung Hoon's fame here would elevate her brand's value, so she embellished a bit.
"He has not only exhibition experience but has also collaborated with MG, a well-known Korean electronics brand in Italy, on refrigerators and other products."
"The MG Electronics? It's quite famous even in Rome."
"Yes, that's right."
"Ah, are you referring to that refrigerator that looks like it was painted in the style of Alphonse Mucha?"
"Yes, the Belle Époque."
Isabella and Romano nodded, recognizing the fame of the artist. Recently, MG Electronics' Belle Époque, launched in Italy, received high acclaim from the art-loving nation, becoming a hot topic. Introducing him as the designer of that refrigerator meant there would be few who didn't know him.
"Indeed, you've brought on board an artist with as much talent as experience. How did you connect with a Korean artist?"
"Didn't you know that Monica worked for MG Electronics in Korea?"
"Oh! That's right. So, did Monica discover this artist?"
"You could say that. He wasn't famous before."
Isabella's eyes sparkled.
The story of a connection between a brand CEO and a famous artist was fascinating.
"Could you tell me more about that story?"
Cicci pushed up her glasses and smiled.
"Certainly."
**
In the store at night.
Like in Korea, where he had the help of YoungJoo and other company members, Ban had to work alone from start to finish. He often worked late into the night.
After other employees had left and the onlookers had disappeared, only Ban and Marco remained in the store.
"Marco."
"Yes, Ban."
"You must be tired, go ahead and leave. It's only a 15-minute walk to the hotel."
"Then I might get fired."
"I'd feel bad about that."
"This is my job. And I consider it a privilege to watch you work. It's not tiring at all, so take your time."
"Thanks for saying that."
While talking, Ban continued to paint a red water lily, twisting his body this way and that to examine it from different angles. Initially, he wanted to paint the water lily in oil, but worried that the fragile oil paint might deteriorate if accidentally touched by customers.
Thus, he chose acrylic paint and planned to apply a gloss varnish instead of a matte one to give the pond a shimmering effect when hit by sunlight, also protecting the painting from deterioration.
Marco, sitting in the center of the store, gazed at the entire painting in awe.
"It feels like being in a huge pond, Ban. You are truly amazing. What do you think of it yourself?"
Ban put down his brush, walked to the center, and looked at the painting with a broad smile.
"It's moving."
Marco laughed loudly, thinking it was a joke.
"Haha, what a joke."
"It's not a joke."
Ban smiled widely, folding his arms.
"To move others, one must first be moved themselves. If not, no matter how intricate the work, it will never possess life."
Hearing my words, Marco winks and gives a thumbs up.
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