A curator's fictional dialogue explores art world corruption and ethical dilemmas

In a fictional narrative, curator Ivan discusses art market schemes with his unpaid intern Rodolf in Bloomsbury, London during December. Ivan proposes exploiting auction houses by selling questionable attributions like "Frans Hals" or "Lucas Cranach the Elder" works, referencing the Knoedler trial where his signed certificates were found near unfinished Pollock paintings. He suggests tipping off collectors about upcoming exhibitions at European institutions for profit and mentions Yoo Byung-eun's 2012 Louvre exhibition as inspiration for an "exhibit-as-you-gift" service. Rodolf criticizes these unethical practices, recalling his Courtauld Institute dissertation research that portrayed Ivan as a fearless institutional critic. The confrontation escalates physically when Rodolf throws a limited edition Martin Kippenberger resin ashtray and strikes Ivan with a fire poker. The narrative references Murakami's literary style, a $450 million Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio work, and Kippenberger's 1994 painting "Dialogue with the Youth of Today" which inspired the story's title. The setting alternates between art market manipulation discussions and violent confrontation in a Bloomsbury residence.