Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
Art exhibit bridges South Korea, North Korea and China
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North Korean painter Chung Young-man’s “Mount Geumgang” / Courtesy of Korean Art Exchange Association
By Kwon Mee-yoo
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Artists from South and North Korea and China gathered for an exhibition with the slogan “Take the Peace! Keep in Touch!” at the Ara Art Center, Insa-dong, central Seoul.
Hosted by the Korean Art Exchange Association, the exhibit aims to promote peace and harmonious coexistence amid the news of political tension between the two Koreas surfacing once again, which coincides with the 61st anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement this year.
The exhibition, featuring the works of 72 South Korean, 32 North Korean and 15 Chinese artists, emphasize peace, reconciliation and coexistence between the three nations that were all affected by the Korean War.
This exhibition provides a unique opportunity for the two Koreas and China to communicate through the language of art and to exchange distinct styles. The ethnic Korean artists in China worked as matchmakers between the North and South.
Kim Key-man, an organizer of the exhibit and visiting professor of Woosuk University, said the exhibition has significance amid strained South-North relations.
“There is no ideology in art. We think artists should take the initiative in promoting peace and collaboration between the two Koreas,” Kim said. “North and South Korea had a few musical exchanges in the past, such as conductor Chung Myung-whun’s concert in Pyongyang, but this exhibit is the first of its kind to shed light of the art found in both Koreas.”
“Take the Peace! Keep in Touch!” runs through Sept. 23.
Korea Times intern Lee Yeon-joo contributed to this article.