We might think that we know about North Korea - it has been so much in the news recently, presenting a nuclear threat to the region. But in fact we know very little about the country. In the 19th century, the undivided country was called the hermit kingdom. Since 1953, the South has become accessible and widely known, while the North has remained a hermit, with very few tourists being allowed to travel there to find out what it is really like. Perhaps one form of evidence which would help us understand the north better is through its art. Jane Portal was very privileged to be able to travel to Pyongyang in 2001 and 2002 as a result of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the UK and the DPRK. At that time she started to collect a variety of contemporary works for the British Museum.

This lecture is in conjunction with the gallery exhibit North Korean Images at Utopia’s Edge, on view at The Korea Society Gallery through December 12, 2008.


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