Inside North Korea
12th July – 21st August
Private View: 12th July / 630pm – 830pm
The Gallery at Foyles / 107 Charing Cross Rd
Inside North Korea offers the public a rare insight behind the closed doors of one of the world’s most secretive states. Photographs taken in 2015 by the architecture and design critic Oliver Wainwright offer the opportunity to step inside one of the most restricted and enigmatic places on the planet.
With a focus on showcasing the unique architectural and interior features of Pyongyang, a city almost entirely destroyed by bombing during the Korean War (1950-1953), this collection of photographs illustrates the theatricality of many of the rebuilt spaces. The city rose back from the devastation in the 1960s and 1970s, rebuilt from scratch as a precisely choreographed stage set, with grand axial boulevards terminating in gargantuan monuments, all designed to encourage veneration of the country’s founding father, Kim Il Sung.
Mosaics from the Pyongyang Metro stations, reproduced as wall-sized images in the exhibition, depict heroic scenes of postwar reconstruction, alongside bounteous landscapes of agriculture and industry, showcasing the achievements of the new nation.
More recently, one of North Korea’s official national slogans declares an ambition to “turn the whole country into a socialist fairyland” – an agenda that is evident in the pastel colour palettes and kindergarten aesthetic of many of the recent renovations across the city. The life-size graphics in the exhibition allow visitors to immerse themselves inside this strange and fascinating world, providing a unique snapshot of the Hermit Kingdom.
“Inside North Korea” is available at Foyles.