Exhibition Information

1962 국립현대미술관 소장 44×64cm

2016 아이 웨이웨이 스튜디오 소장 가변크기

2004 3분 56초

1981 국립현대미술관 소장 136×230cm

			"Someday we'll see the Korean War like this. The day we talk about war, not the battle, the day talk about the cruelty of war, the day when we talk about the scars left by the war that has not ended for a long time, the day when we talk about the stories of ordinary people who live in an unusual era." -Lee Hyang-gyu

In 2020, 70 years after the outbreak of the Korean War on June 25, 1950, the generation who experienced war firsthand, such as separated families, displaced people, domestic and foreign veterans, prisoners of war, and orphans, has been replaced by those who have not experienced war. On the other hand, some view the Korean War as a historical event, not a personal experience. At the same time, various classified military documents and materials were released, paving the way for a three-dimensional understanding of the Korean War at a more diverse point in time. 
In <UNFLATTENING>, we introduce the works of art that explored the war, which we all knew but were indifferent, and human beings in the war. Participating artists in the exhibition listen to the memories and strange stories hidden behind the official explanation of the war and pay attention to the dignity of human beings damaged in the extreme situation of war. 

Part 1. Memories of a strange war
"Who can understand the hearts of there poor Koreans? Did Koreans want this war? The neighborhoods where they lived were burned down, and the madness of death and hunger never dies. Have you ever asked Koreans at least? Why on condition did they have to be this way? -Moktar Rubis

Part 1 summons the Korean War, which remains in the memory of the war generation. When the war broke out, many artists went south to escape fire, and Kim Hwan-ki, Kwon Young-woo, and Woo Shin-chul joined the army. Kim Sung-hwan left behind a series of tragic wars he witnessed right after the outbreak of the war. Yoon Jung-sik, who took young children to refuge, recorded his experiences on the road. Meanwhile, journalist John Richie and AP photojournalist Max Despere, respectively, filmed scenes of the Korean War from a stranger's point of view and images of Koreans. The works produced by lvor Helle of Australia, Frank Norton of Canada and Ted Jubber of Canada during the Korean War will not be submitted this time and will be released under the cooperation of the relevant agencies. Finally, photos and video material related to the Korean War, which are owned by the National Archives of America, show civilians in the war, including prisoners of war and orphans. 

Part 2. Live with the war.

"The war as an act is over, but the war as a condition is not over. The battle is over, but the war is in progress. It can be confirmed by the strong division and hostility between the south and north Korea, massive military spending, and the internalization of war, namely the continuation of a military-type society between south and north Korea. -Kim Dong-chun

The south and north Korea have spent the past 70 years amid tensions that the war could resume at any time as the division of the truce has become entrenched. It is kind of "garrison state" in which both adult men serve compulsory military service, a huge budget is spent on defense every year, and nationalism and military culture work throughout society.  With strong anti-Communism operating throughout society, only official narratives related to the Korean War exist, and the memories of the war experienced in their respective situations were suppressed or marginalized. "Living with War" introduces works of artists who are shallow about the problems of Korean society, deformed and distorted by division.
 Works dealing with the impact of the 1950 war, which is still continuing in Korean society in 2020, will be introduced, including Lee Dong-pyo who has lived as a soldier and a prisoner, an art scholar who had nothing to do with ideas and Roh Soon-taek, who showed the irony of the fair, which bacame a festivals, and Han suk-kyung, who observes the trajectory of his grandfather's life long- longing for his hometown in North Korea.

Part3. To live like a human being.
"If my art has nothing to do with people's pain and sorrow, what is are for?" -I weiwei

War takes a lot away form us. Destroy and deprive people of the basic requirements of human-life such children, right to be educated, basic environment such as food, clothing, and shelter, and trust in family, loved ones, and human beings. Even after the Korean War, numerous conflicts and civil wars continue on Earth. 'To live like a human being' points out what we lost and what we damaged in the war. In their four-year detention experience with their passports taken away, contemporary artists such as Ai WeiWei, who is known through various media about the situation facing refugees, Erkan Ozgen, who deals with the pain and burden of women's lives in conflict zones, Robert Knos and Antonet de Yong, who expose the connection between numerous wars and black deals, are based on the meaning of "living like a human being" through art and practice. Why do they continue to wage wars that threaten the conditions of human life? How to stop the war in order to live like human being. They ask what they should do for refugees who cannot live like humans.

Part 4. What will you do?
"If violence and fear continue in everyone life, it claims to be at war, not peace." -Kim Eun-sil

At time goes by, the gap among generations on war, division and unification is growing. From displaced people who desperately want unification to younger generation who think about unification in practical terms, they look at reality from different perspectives. With the freedom of movement and residence between countries, the sense of belonging to the country tends to weaken and the perception of the country is also changing. In real-time access to global information, not only a nation's identity as a citizen but also its responsibility and roles as a citizen of the world are newly required. In "What to Do", we have space to think about and talk about issues ranging from close issues such as "how to overcome internalized militaryism in everyday life" to "What kind of country Korea should be for refugees who visit Korea." This space introduces the activities of establishing the conditions of human-like life with the new generation, stopping the war and exploring ways of action to pursue peace. Tokumans will produce and distribute <Safe Product Pass> for 2020 under the motif of the propagada material that was sprayed during the Korean War, the so-called "bira". In addition, a reading space consisting of book related to the Korean War and books containing peace visions from various perspectives will be operated along with a workshop by Peace Momo aimed at decentralized peace education.

[Source] National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art homepage