Though Pyongyang is the capital city and heart of North Korea, to the outside world it is the epicenter of the unknown. It is surprising then that nine international artists were recently invited by Switzerland's Random Institute to exhibit in Pyongyang.
The resulting group exhibition was organized around the theme of silence, a concept that resonated with the isolated nature of the show’s host country. Additionally, the immediate inaccessibility of this exhibition reflects the widespread, present-day condition of “consuming” art remotely, often online and via secondary media.
In keeping with the theme of silence, only one significant trace of documentation (other than select installation views) was allowed to publicly surface: an enigmatic mention on each of the nine artists’ CVs. This unusual addition to the artists’ resumes points to another concerning phenomenon of our time: the increasingly CV-driven art world. Furthering the theme, while also feeding global curiosity about the hermit kingdom, the artists’ only response to requests to elaborate on their exhibition and experience are and will remain simply:
“I’m not supposed to talk about it.”
The special edition catalogue is strictly limited to 100 unique numbered copies and can be ordered from Mark Pezinger Verlag. The official launch takes place on June 15 at the I Never Read Art Book Fair in Basel, Switzerland.(Facebook Event)
The exhibition All the Lights We Cannot See, which was virtually unnoticed by the general public, was held April 9 – 12, 2016 in Pyongyang, North Korea. It was curated by Anna Hugo and Sandino Scheidegger.
