Return of the Genius Photographer

‘I wonder what photo will be revealed today…’

The next day had arrived, but Monica was still reeling from the shock.

The unconventional approach she’d never seen before.

The mysterious shooting technique she couldn’t figure out.

And…

‘What was the meaning behind that photo…?’

Pure curiosity.

Monica recalled the photo she’d seen the day before.

A child, hands politely clasped, seemingly catching falling gold coins.

It felt as if she was peering into the child’s world through a cracked window.

The blurry, light-flared photo felt so shabby that it could’ve been taken in a slum.

What had the photographer wanted to convey through that scene?

She couldn’t help but think about it.

And Monica realized that this very thought was what Woojin had intended.

If yesterday was any indication, another photo would be revealed today.

Perhaps the key to solving her current questions lay within that photo.

‘I can’t wait. I have to go.’

Unable to contain her curiosity, Monica stood up.

“Monica, where are you going? The professors are coming soon.”

“Sorry, call me later. There’s somewhere I need to check out first.”

“Wait, wait…!”

Victor, her colleague, tried to stop Monica as she left RISD’s exhibition area, but she was already gone without looking back.

***

Monica moved swiftly toward Yale’s exhibition area with lighter steps than anyone else.

As she approached the exhibition, she saw people admiring Woojin’s photos.

‘There seem to be more people than yesterday.’

Whether it was because of the peak visiting hours or word-of-mouth from yesterday’s photo.

The crowd was definitely larger.

Even though RISD’s exhibition area had been crowded, it wasn’t to this extent…

In any case, the crowd meant the photos had that much value.

As someone who had admired Woojin’s photo yesterday, Monica found the scene fascinating.

But thinking of her colleagues, a strange feeling arose, and she slowly approached the crowd.

“I didn’t understand the photo yesterday, but now I get it.”

“Right? The vibe is so different from yesterday.”

“Really? I should’ve come yesterday. Who knew there’d be something like this…?”

Amidst the people exchanging words of wonder and admiration.

Monica finally managed to peek through and saw the photo.

At the same time, a soft smile spread across her face.

“So this is what he wanted to say…”

The photo was of the same child as yesterday.

The child sat with a happy expression, holding what looked like gold coins in one hand.

In the other hand, the child held a chocolate coin, pretending to put it in their mouth.

In yesterday’s blurry, light-flared photo, the child’s hands had seemed poor…

But in today’s photo, the child was as ordinary as anyone else.

Even what she thought were gold coins turned out to be chocolates wrapped in gold foil.

And…

[ We are too quick to believe in fragmented information. ]

[ To not question what process it went through, or what intention it was created with, is like stopping thought. ]

[ Prejudice is formed that way. ]

[ Prop cost: $5.20. ]

Monica felt as if she’d been hit on the back of the head with a hammer.

After all, she too had been convinced that the hands in the photo belonged to a poor, destitute child.

No, in fact, she hadn’t even doubted it.

Who could’ve guessed after seeing yesterday’s photo?

Everyone had been played by the photographer’s intentions.

Monica let out a hollow laugh.

She had thought that revealing the photos one by one and having visitors write their thoughts was just a way to make the photos more memorable.

But it was more than that.

Woojin had chosen the most effective way to convey his message.

If she had seen all the photos at once, she wouldn’t have felt such a strong impact.

Only by viewing them one by one could she fully appreciate the awe the photos inspired and the artist’s intentions…

‘How many steps ahead is he thinking?’

Monica brushed off the goosebumps on her arms and thought to herself.

Although it was an exchange event, Art Unity was similar to a large-scale exhibition.

The fact that you could see works from various genres was unique, but the framework of displaying works outdoors remained largely unchanged.

And no one would’ve questioned this approach.

But Woojin was different.

While all the other students were focused solely on their works, he had gone further, thinking about how to present his work.

His result, which considered not just the work but also the method of presentation, was nothing short of astonishing and admirable.

What photo, what story would he reveal tomorrow?

Naturally, her thoughts led her there.

And because of that, people would come back every day…

‘This is beyond a student’s level…’

Monica felt as if Woojin, with whom she had briefly felt a sense of kinship, was now far beyond her reach.

She had thought they were on a similar level…

But Woojin had already surpassed the level of a student.

As Monica was lost in Woojin’s photos.

“Monica, what are you looking at?”

Victor’s voice called out.

Victor approached her, handing her a drink, and asked.

“You didn’t even tell me where you were going. I’ve been looking for you for a while.”

But Monica, still dazed, didn’t respond.

Realizing she was deeply focused, Victor followed her gaze and looked at the photo.

“A photo? Wait, what’s all this?”

And just like Monica had been, Victor was shocked.

In his eyes, he saw the photo, along with a bulletin board where people had stuck Post-it notes, and the rest of the photos, still hidden under covers.

“They’re revealing one photo a day? What’s with that board?”

“Participatory art…”

“What?”

Finally, Monica spoke softly.

“They did this to grab people’s attention. Those who write their opinions here will never forget this photo.”

She explained slowly to Victor.

“Revealing the photos one by one is part of it too. The day the last photo is revealed is when the survey voting becomes available. It’s about keeping people engaged and leaving a lasting impression until then. Everything, from start to finish, is meticulously planned.”

Her eyes didn’t miss the essence.

The photos revealed one by one each day and the bulletin board for visitors’ opinions were all methods to leave a strong impression.

The Art Unity event, running for three weeks from today, concludes with a survey vote in the final week.

Since the voting day is still far off, even if a work leaves a good impression on visitors.

Over time, that impression fades, making the outcome on voting day unpredictable.

In fact, many had complaints about this system.

The competition for prime exhibition spots was fierce, as areas with high foot traffic were advantageous.

On the day Woojin didn’t attend the event to decide the exhibition spots.

Victor had judged him as having run away, knowing full well the importance of location.

But Woojin had found another way instead of obsessing over the spot like everyone else.

And it was a very unconventional one…

“Is this even allowed?”

“It’s not easy. You can’t pull off such a gamble unless you’re confident in the photos you’ve taken…”

As Monica answered with admiration.

Victor, on the other hand, asked incredulously.

“No, I mean, isn’t this against the rules?”

Victor’s expression hardened, and he scanned the area with an angry look.

“Look. No one else is doing this except here.”

“So?”

“This isn’t the time to stay quiet, Monica. This is something we need to protest. There’s no way this method is allowed under the rules.”

Art Unity is an event older than their age.

Given its structure as a competition between schools, there have always been disputes, big and small.

To resolve such disputes.

A committee of professors was formed before the event to create rules and monitor for foul play.

Victor’s suggestion was to bring Woojin’s photos to the committee’s attention.

“At the very least, our school’s professors won’t let this slide.”

Victor said to Monica with a sly expression.

“He seems to have gone to great lengths to stand out, but let’s make sure he can’t do anything before that.”

Monica felt uneasy but didn’t say anything.

Though she admired Woojin’s photos…

After all, he was a competitor.

If they had to win, Victor’s opinion might be justified.

And…

Could they really beat these photos as things stood? The question lingered in her mind.

“The professors are nearby, so this works out. Let’s go talk to them right away.”

Victor led the hesitant Monica straight to where the professors were gathered.

***

“Hello, Professor.”

“Ah, Victor. I saw the photos you exhibited. Your keen observation of athletes really stood out.”

As Victor had said, the committee professors were gathered nearby.

Along with familiar faces, there were also unfamiliar ones, likely Yale professors.

It seemed they were touring the exhibition areas, leaving their impressions.

They looked very pleased.

After all, the professors were both committee members and voting visitors.

They might have found the students’ struggles endearing.

“Thank you. But actually, there’s something I need to tell you…”

After expressing his gratitude, Victor cautiously brought up the issue.

“What is it?”

“While I was looking at Yale’s photography department booth, I noticed something unusual.”

He looked quite smug.

“It seems there’s a work that violates the rules.”

“A rule violation? Whose work are you talking about?”

At Victor’s words, the professors’ previously cheerful expressions instantly hardened.

Victor’s statement was clearly a sensitive one.

“Yes. Nam Woojin’s work violates the rules. He set up a strange bulletin board at the exhibition area to guide visitors. Isn’t that against the rules?”

Monica, who had been quietly listening from behind, swallowed nervously.

But at that moment.

“Ah! You’re talking about that work!”

The professors’ reaction was quite different from what Victor had expected.

“Huh?”

Victor’s eyes widened in surprise.

The professors smiled and explained to Victor.

“You must have been surprised by the unconventional method. It’s not strange, we were impressed too when we saw it.”

“But…”

“To put it simply, it has nothing to do with the rules. Hmm… To be more precise, you could say there’s no such rule.”

Victor, seemingly shocked by the professor’s explanation, immediately asked again.

“So, in a photo exhibition, you can display something other than photos?”

“The bulletin board is just a device to highlight the photos, isn’t it? We interpreted it that way.”

“But then…”

The situation was completely different from what he had intended.

Whether out of embarrassment or anger, Victor’s face turned red as he tried to continue.

“Victor! Stop.”

Monica, who had been watching quietly, stopped him.

“The professor explained it well.”

“Ah… Professor, I’m sorry.”

Snapping out of it, Victor bowed his head in apology.

“It’s alright. It’s natural for participants to think that way. If you have any more questions or see anything unusual, feel free to speak up.”

With a kind smile, the professors patted Victor on the shoulder and left.

Even though the results of Art Unity were still far off.

What filled Monica’s mind was…

An inexplicable sense of defeat.