Capturing the irony of divided Korea

Noh Sun-tag's "String-pulling theory; An excellent mystery of the Container-Barricades made by 2MegaByte #89" / Courtesy of the artist

This is the ninth in a series of interviews with notable artists recommended by the Korean Artist Project, an online platform promoting Korean art. — ED.

By Kwon Mee-yoo

A mysterious white sphere appears in a series of photos in a rural village in Korea. In the photo, it looks like the moon appearing through the trees or maybe a golf ball when placed next to a farmer swinging his pitchfork. The sphere looks down as local residents protest against the expansion of U.S. military facilities. The sphere is omnipresent over the town of Daechu-ri, Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, and was captured through the lens of photographer Noh Sun-tag in his "The strAnge ball" series (2004-2007).

Born in 1971 in Seoul, Noh studied politics at Konkuk University and participated in his school newspaper, where he raised awareness of the power of journalism and photography.

"As a politics major, I was interested in social issues as I was exposed to the scenes of social conflict, often involving violence," Noh said in an interview with The Korea Times. "The gap between what I saw and how it was portrayed in news photos made me question the veracity of the news. I thought photography was transparent, objective and clear, but soon realized that it could be rather evil and maneuvering. I was attracted to the wicked side of photos."

Photographer Noh Sun-tag / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

However, he was a reporter, not a photojournalist when he joined local media such as the Korean Professors' Newspaper and OhmyNews. As he wrote articles and took photos, Noh's interest in photography led him to switch from writing to taking pictures full time.

Noh's career flourished as a photojournalist and now he is one of the top fine art photographers in Korea. But the artist does not draw boundaries for his work.

"I am a person on the borderland," he said. "A photo is a news photo when published in a newspaper and the same photo can become fine art when displayed in a white cube in a museum. It could also become propaganda when used for propaganda leaflets. A photograph does not speak, but the context speaks. I am part artist, part journalist and part activist. This is what I pursue as well."

Noh Sun-tag's "In Search of Lost Thermos Bottles #I-03"
/ Courtesy of the artist

State of division

Noh's interest lies in the state of division, which has been prevalent in Korea in the more than 60 years since the Korean War (1950-53), and how it influences Korean society.

"The division of Korea spawned various situations in our society and I took notice of the 'malfunction' coming from the state of this division," Noh said. "I am a collector of such glitches and categorize them in that context."

He has been to sites like Daechu-ri, Gangjeong Village, on Jeju Island, where residents protested against a naval base construction plan; and Paengmok Port, on Jindo Island, which was the base for the Sewol ferry sinking rescue efforts.

Another famed series from Noh portrayed the Yongsan Incident when five evictees and a policeman were killed in a fire during a clash over an urban redevelopment plan in January 2009. He also traced the Thermos flasks former Incheon mayor Ahn Sang-soo mistook for North Korean artillery shells from the bombardment of Yeonpyeong in 2010, as he rummaged through the bombed-out island.

Noh Sun-tag's "reallyGood, murder #BJK2209" / Courtesy of the artist

"This might seem poles apart from the division of the two Koreas, but for me it all means the same," Noh said. "There is the violence of state power and no tolerance for counter-opinions over this incident."

Last year, Noh won the Korean Artist Prize, hosted by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), for a series of photographic works themed "Sneaky Snakes in Scenes of Incompetence," becoming the first photographer to win the prestigious award.

The judges said Noh's work deals with social and political situations based on the nature of the camera as he ponders the raison d'etre of a photographer. "It is impressive that despite the intensity of Noh's work, his remarkable sense of humor is able to twist our awareness," said the judges in an assessment.

"Photography has a relatively short history of just 176 years, but it cannot be separated from art, science and our life," Noh said. "It encroaches on our visual sense. Photography is the easiest way to recreate something we see. It has freed ancient artists who strived to re-enact sceneries in a rather violent way.

"However, it is now a ritual, everyone pressing the shutter all the time, before eating something or when they see something interesting. Cameras take pictures at the most incompetent situations of our society, but we cannot understand the context of the photo while taking it."

This is maybe why Noh takes photos of people taking pictures ― from photojournalists covering various events to everyday people taking souvenir photos with their cell phone.

Though he mostly works with conflicting social issues, Noh's photos do not provide answers or indoctrinate the artist's opinions. "I want my works to function as a question, not a definitive answer."

His next big project is going to be the second edition of "State of Emergency," an exhibit first held at Stuttgart and Hamburg, Germany, and Barcelona, Spain, in 2008. The updated series will be exhibited at Seoul's Artsonje Center next year.

"It was the largest solo exhibit I've ever had, featuring over 200 pieces," Noh said. "However, it never traveled to Korea due to its scale. I think the time is ripe for an exhibit in Seoul ― it will be based on the 'State of Emergency,' but new materials will be added. Two administrations have changed since then, but the state of division constantly causes malfunction in our society."

For more information on the artist and his work, visit www.koreanartistproject.com.