The Versatile Master Artist

”Oh, Lady Detective Cat, hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The assistant girl had a formulaic polite smile on her face: ”To receive the same rating as giants in the illustration world in Mr. Hibernian’s popular video, that’s quite an honor.”

Her words were flawless.

Though the assistant girl did not like Detective Cat, it was purely due to her role and not because she had any personal opinion about this popular artist.

Moreover, she was Curator Tangkis’ art assistant.

To offend other artists for personal preferences is highly unprofessional.

”I know Mr. Tangkis is the international independent curator of the Singapore Art Exhibition, and Lady Detective Cat is very interested in it, so...”

Before Anna could finish her sentence, the blonde assistant inwardly shook her head.

They were all smart people,

she could understand Mr. Tree Sloth’s underlying request to get a ”special invitation artist” spot for Detective Cat.

As Curator Tangkis’ assistant,

the blonde girl had seen many such requests.

International art exhibition curators are like directors of million-dollar Hollywood A-list blockbuster films, naturally having various agencies trying to slot in their actors.

A major art exhibition features two participation channels: special invitees and submitting artists.

Special invitees can be invited by the curator or the committee, bypassing the preliminary screening to directly make it to the main exhibition.

Being a special invitee itself signifies a recognition of honor.

Basically, those who receive this honor are internationally renowned traditional artists, represented artists of some top galleries, and fixed quotas allocated to top art institutions.

The blonde girl is Curator Tangkis’ art assistant, so she naturally has the authority to recommend special invitees too.

However, a popular online illustrator like Detective Cat, in the assistant girl’s view, does not meet that standard in terms of qualification or fame.

”Oh, Lady Detective Cat, that’s wonderful. Participating in such an international art biennial is a milestone for anyone in the painting industry.”

The blonde assistant internally ridiculed Detective Cat for wanting the unattainable, but still maintained a courteous smile.

”The Singapore Art Exhibition welcomes international artists’ submissions. I can send you this year’s theme and submission website. If there’s a desire to participate, any artist can submit to the committee.” The assistant girl pretended not to understand Anna’s implication, skillfully avoiding the topic.

”Could she get a special invite spot? You know, Detective Cat has quite a buzz online.”

Mr. Tree Sloth asked.

”I’m sorry, the Singapore Art Exhibition is a professional international art exhibition, which might not be suitable for an artist like Lady Detective Cat... such as... a cartoonist.”

The assistant girl declined tactfully.

In ordinary situations, being rejected would stop Anna from asking again.

But Detective Cat is different.

”Detective Cat’s sketching skills are really good. Even granting her a trial opportunity, is that possible? Providing better opportunities for excellent artists is what being a special invitee is about, isn’t it?”

Anna earnestly requested.

There are some less famous artists among the special invitee list too.

The original intention of this ”special invitation” model was to give curators the chance to discover those gem-like artists buried in the sands.

The most classic example should be the Japanese curator, Elder Nantiao Shisheng.

During his curatorial work for the Venice Art Exhibition in 1991, he uniquely unearthed the then not-so-famous Dongxia artist Cai Guoqiang.

In the following three decades, Mr. Cai became the world’s most renowned pyrotechnic stage artist.

His works are now treasured by numerous famous art exhibitions and museums like the Venice Biennale, Kassel Biennale, and the Pompidou Center.

He is also a recipient of the United States National Medal of Arts and the John D. Rockefeller III Award.

Italy’s Pompeii Memorial Exhibition, the Winter Olympics in the Capital City, and even the fireworks show for the Qatar World Cup were all designed by Cai Guoqiang at the invitation of the Qatari government.

Elder Nantiao Shisheng has thus become one of the world’s most renowned international curators.

This is a typical case where the curator and artist mutually achieve success.

But the reason why such examples are classic is because they are indeed rare.

Getting recognized by a curator is a rare opportunity, and even fewer artists can seize it when it comes.

Often, giving opportunities to unknown small artists results in mutual disappointment.

This leads to the situation where small artists participating as special invitees are basically left for the organizers to tell stories, for media to write reports about, as ’special figures’.

A young African-American in Brooklyn achieving his artistic dream by delivering newspapers on a bicycle becomes another example of pursuing the American dream, etc.

All are fine and well, everyone benefits.

Like all literary circles over the past decade, stacking narrative advantages has always been useful in the art world.

No matter how the work turns out,

at least there’s news to write about, showcasing the organizers’ vision of equity.

According to the assistant girl’s evaluation standard.

Detective Cat’s identity as an online illustrator taking commissions on Nutshell—story-wise, is not a merit, but a demerit.

Online illustrators are a mixed bag,

especially those part-timers on Nutshell give art judges the greatest impression of being LOW and unprofessional.

The public perception isn’t very good either,