Imagining a new future for the North and South in an exhibition presented by the Korean Cultural Centre Australia.
Marking a decade since the Cultural Centre was established ,the latest exciting and informative exhibition currently on display at the Korean Cultural Centre Australia in Sydney is NEGOTIATING BORDERS , which examines the past and present history of the DMZ ( Demilitarized Zone ) separating the two Koreas .Greatly affected by the Covid pandemic, the exhibition asks if there is perhaps a new future for the two Koreas.
Major Korean artists are featured, examining border crossing and links between the two Koreas in various ways.
The excellent catalogue reveals that the exhibition is divided into two parts .But first , there are greetings from Jung Kilhwa,the President of KOFICE and Jihee Kim, the Director of the Korean Cultural Centre Australia . Then there is an article by Sunjung Kim, Artistic Director who explains the history of the Real DMZ Project , its international and Korean links and the exhibition we have in Sydney and how everything has been affected by Covid. The REAL DMZ PROJECT was created in 2011 to explore the (in)visible borders of the DMZ through the critical lens of contemporary art and to raise awareness about the division of Korea.
The exhibition itself is divided into two parts : Part 1 is entitled Early Arrival of the Future .The title comes from the term North Korean defectors have used to define themselves. The exhibition begins with Sojung Jun’s 2015 work of the same name, depicting the interactions between two pianists – North Korean defector Kim Cheol-woong and South Korean Uhm Eun-Kyung as they work towards a joint performance.
Then comes Jane Jin Kaisen’s 2016 Apertures/Spectres/Rifts, a special triptych lightbox looking at the Korean War, the division between the Koreas, women’s rights and how all Koreans were and are affected by the War and division.It is stark , compelling and deeply moving.
Next is Daejin Choi’s 2021 Last Chance , a painting of a boxing match using boxing as a symbol of reconciliation.
Two hand embroidered pieces by Kyungah Ham follow – Needling Whisper , Needle Country SMS series in Camouflage Are You Lonely Too ? C01-01-02 and Big Smile C01-01-03 both of which are bright bold and almost psychadelic . The 2014-15 work crosses the border between the two Koreas as Kyngah Ham uses modern technology yet they are secretly woven by North Koreans.
Next is an article by Sung Kyung Kim, Associate Professor.Uni Of North Korean Studies that looks at the history of the DMZ, the division between the two Koreas, what it is like to live in the DMZ and can art possibly bring peace?
This takes us to Part 2 of the exhibition entitled How Are You Doing?
This section opens with Heinkuhn Oh’s 2010- 2011 Middlemen series of photos of South Korean soldiers during their mandatory service .
Next comes Woosung Lee’s 2021 How Are You Doing ?,I’m Doing Well Here,a large painting of Aegi Peak , Gyeonggi Province , that was of importance during the War and again shows the division between the two Koreas and where civilian access is severely restricted .Created specifically for this Sydney exhibition it has amazing pink clouds, rolling green hills and the settlement buildings are quite small.
Books and a slideshow by Kyung Jin Zoh and Hye Ryeong Cho – DMZ Botanic Garden (2019)– is next , a fragile , delicate collection of plants from the DMZ.
The 2020 video Sweeping the Forest Floor by Jane Jin Kaisen has a camera attached to an agitated landmine detector – a stark reminder of the trauma of war as it pans through the forest inside the Civilian Control Line (the border line that stretches 5-20 km south of the Southern Limit Line)
Director of the National Sejong Arboretum Youmi Lee has written a fascinating article about the ecology of the DMZ , focusing on the flora .
Next is a listing of the screenings to be held on March 24. Included are –
Young-hae Chang Heavy Industries , Our DMZ ( 2021) which is full of political comment about the current situation in Korea.
IM Heung-Soon‘s , 2015 Buckhansen , looks at the life of singer Kim Bok-Ju who defected from North Korea . At the end of the video , in traditional Korean dress, Kim climbs to the top of Mount Bukhan’s Wonhyo Peak to sing.
Sojung Jun’s 2020 Eclipse 1,11 is an intimate perspective that focuses on the differences between individuals from both Koreas. A harp and a North Korean gayageum ( a kind of string instrument ) and is based on the works of Yun Isang (1917-1995) who was forced to live in exile.
Park Chan-Kyon’s 2005 Flying blends images of the Korean War with images of the first ever direct flight between North and South Korea , taken by the then South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il .It emphasises the division between the two Koreas and the alternation between ‘ Cold War and ‘post Cold-War ‘.Is there hope for a new future ?
Set, also by Park Chan-Kyon , is a series of film sets in both Koreas , questioning truth , questioning the violence during the Cold War era and raising questions about the’ truth ‘ we live in .
Adrian Villar Rojas’, 2017 El momento mas hermoso de la guerra (The Most Beautiful Moment of War) blends film and theatre , using actors and non actors in the village of Yangli , inside the DMZ , filmed when he was there for a month’s residency. History, politics and fiction are blurred .
NEGOTIATING BORDERS runs at the Korean Cultural Centre Gallery from Friday January 28 to Tuesday March 29, 2022