Opening in London of Exhibition of Art Works from the DPRK

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Opening in London of Exhibition of Art Works from the DPRK

Review:
Artists, Art and Culture of North Korea

The opening took place on July 18 at La Galleria of Pall Mall in London of an exhibition of paintings, posters, ceramics and tapestry from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The exhibition runs until September 2, 2007.

The exhibition is under the curatorship of David Heather, and was declared open by the recently appointed present Ambassador of the DPRK to Britain, His Excellency Ja Song Nam. Also present at the preview were two of the people’s artists featured in the exhibition, and officials from the Embassy in London.

The exhibition is an unprecedented opportunity for people in Britain from all backgrounds to see for themselves the works of art which are produced in the DPRK. It is a very valuable opportunity to experience this culture in artistic form without preconceptions, and become acquainted with the values and preoccupations of Korean artists and their methods of work.

The exhibition is therefore an important contribution to the friendship between the British and Korean peoples and to deepening the understanding of the way of life of the Korean people. In this way, it can be said also to be an important contribution to opposing those who wish to promote enmity between the working people of the DPRK and other working people the world over, and to use this enmity to justify aggression against and hostility to the DPRK.

Summer Exhibition 18 July to 2 September 2007

La Galleria, 5b Pall Mall, London SW1Y 4UY

The opening of the Artists, Art & Culture of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Exhibition took place on Wednesday, July 18. Featuring some ten artists with work in painting, ceramics and tapestry, the exhibition brings together the best of North Korean art. The exhibition, according to the brochure, "is an attempt to create contact with this mysterious and fascinating country, which is DPRK a unique culture in its own right". The brochure, Contemporary DPR Korean Art, goes on to say, "Korean art is an oriental way of expressing art, but having a strong personality of its own, different to its neighbouring China or Japan. … While Poster art unequivocally and forcefully presents political and ideological position, painting emphasises tradition, full of motifs like landscapes, countryside, mountains, flowers and birds, the impressive tiger or lion (so naturalistic and richly coloured, testifying respect for these animals), female figures with traditional clothes."

The painting Enthusiasm, by artist Pak Hyon Cho, depicts a young woman reading under a tree, emphasising the dignity of women and their equal thirst for knowledge and education. Another painting entitled Sculpture Workers, by Kim Song Min, who was present at the preview, depicts the positive spirit of Korean workers showing both pride and enjoyment in their work. All the artworks on exhibition are from artists from the Mansudae Art Studio, the largest art studio in Pyongyang. "The atmosphere inside the art centre is based on reciprocal respect and solidarity," the brochure points out. "There are functional and artistic hierarchies but everyone shares the space and the experience."

Discussing some of the most striking art works and propaganda posters, the brochure points out, "One of the most represented subjects in the exhibition is the army." It explains that this is because in the DPRK, the army is seen as a "pillar of society, not only as an element of national defence, but also as an indispensable support for civilian protection and help for the citizens’ everyday activities". These posters on display are a "celebrated moment of national pride, images that aim to strike the observer’s conscience, almost always with a slogan, producing a real witness of the Korean traditional painting expression, underlining, graphically, the meaning of an important and impressive message".

Reflecting on the course of contemporary painting in the DPRK, the brochure says, "In the past, the subjects were almost only political and social, and it was Kim Jong ll who said that ‘a picture must be painted in such a way that the viewer can understand its meaning. If the people who see the picture can’t grasp its meaning, they cannot say it is a good picture, no matter how talented is its creator’."

This, in our view, brings to light the necessity here in Britain for a culture that belongs to the people which they can access and relate to. When artistic production is not in the hands of the people there is no expression of their experience and therefore no stimulation for the mind in terms of what does the art mean or represent or what does it advance, nor does it begin from its appeal to the senses and the people’s appreciation of it. As long as the prevailing artistic values are set by the rich and powerful, there can be no innovative or progressive moves forward in the modern art which takes its lead from these values. Owners of art galleries such as Saatchi simply serve their own interests with so-called modern art that is so far removed from having true meaning or appealing to the senses. By virtue of being different countries with different cultures, the art created in Britain will be different from that of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, reflecting the experience of Britain. But what is common is that to live and be truly free we must affirm our right to create and appreciate art as part of our identity and culture, and thereby contribute in our own conditions to the movement for emancipation.