Photographer journeys into the myths and realities of North Korea

[KimJongUn]

Photographer journeys into the myths and realities of North Korea

Wang Guofeng is the only foreign artist authorised by the secretive government

PUBLISHED : Sunday, 14 June, 2015, 11:15pm
UPDATED : Sunday, 14 June, 2015, 11:16pm

Peggy Yuan

Artist Wang Guofeng in North Korea. Photo: Wang Guofeng

Artist Wang Guofeng is known for his colour photographs that take an often critical look at the ideology and legacy of socialism, and are printed in large formats up to 24 metres wide. The only foreign artist authorised by North Korea’s government, Wang has visited the country four times since 2011 and is planning his fifth trip to photograph the 70th anniversary celebrations of the governing Workers’ Party.

What’s the concept and motivation behind your photography?

Art’s conception and creation usually stem from the artist’s personal experience and the era he lives in. As a Chinese artist, the topic of socialism is unavoidable either from a historical perspective or in the contemporary world. I started photographing socialist buildings and architecture in 2005. Socialism has virtually become history since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the political upheaval in Eastern Europe. We no longer live that history, but can analyse the legacy, ideology, buildings and architecture, which are the material ideology and monuments of that passing era. It’s interesting to find that the architecture built in the 1950s in these socialist countries, or the so-called Eastern Bloc, basically followed the same style of the political architecture in the former Soviet Union, all carrying the political mission to demonstrate socialist ideology and its common aspirations.

How many countries does your project involve and what are your target subjects?

All the former socialist and continuing socialist countries. These include Poland, east Germany, the Czech Republic, Romania, China, North Korea, Cuba and Vietnam. I started photographing socialist architecture in China and the former Soviet Union. As I progressed, my motivation to enter North Korea became stronger. My project would not be complete without North Korea, the only ongoing socialist country in the world.

One of artist Wang Guofeng's photographs. Photo: Wang Guofeng

How did you persuade them to grant you permission to take pictures?

It took a lot of effort to obtain permission – three years. I approached various ministerial-level government departments. I enclosed a picture book of my socialist building photographs in my application package. I guess the book worked.

What is it like working in North Korea?

The North Korea series of pictures is separate and independent. I have photographed its political architecture, grand political gatherings, the performance of Arirang [North Korea’s unofficial national anthem], individuals such as workers, farmers, hospital doctors, university students, high school and primary school pupils, traffic policewomen, kindergarten kids, and families of various social status, such as scientists and farmers. There are so many impressive memories from my interactions with the country. Usually I need to send my work plan to the North Korean government two to three months in advance. My first trip was the most memorable. When I arrived at the airport, I was taken to Mansudae Square in Pyongyang, where a grand bronze statue of former leader Kim Il-sung stands. I was instructed to offer a flower basket in tribute to the former leader. The flower basket cost US$10. I was amazed by everything I saw: the quiet streets, the ordinary people walking fast with their heads down. Everything seemed surreal, strange, but seemed to be closely connected with my childhood memory. They arranged five working staff, including one from the national security bureau, to accompany me and my crew. They amended my work plan and added a few other places that I was not interested in. The accompanying officials closely monitored what I photographed and said. Whenever they saw any of us photographing anything not on the schedule and whenever we said anything that they deemed to be offensive or disrespectful, they would immediately ask me to delete or correct as necessary, warning me to be in compliance with their rules. North Korea is like a mirror of China. There are similarities in tradition and a shared socialist background: the grand scenery, the passion that each individual has for their leader. In North Korea, people believe all their belongings are granted by the leader, their god.

Did you get any feedback from the North Koreans?

Yes. They are satisfied with my pictures. They have their own objective in that they want to show the grand landscape of the country and its people through the eyes of a foreign artist. They have asked me to do a solo exhibition at the national museum of North Korea upon completion of my North Korea project. I have also been requested to send a full set of my North Korea photographs to its leader Kim Jong-un as a gift. Recently, they also suggested that I publish a book of pictures.

What’s the meaning of your staged photographs? What message would you like to convey from these photos?

!Yes, I am in a passive position when I am in the country. My work is closely monitored and supervised by the government, which I was strongly against at the beginning. But as I progressed along the way, I started to realise that what I covered was another form of reality and normal in North Korea. Visitors may have candid shots of the hardships of daily life for ordinary people. That’s a reality. While my pictures document the reality of the grand performances, of the “collective unconsciousness” of the public, that’s another reality in the making of mythologies. My socialist architecture series are the memoir of history and mankind’s pursuit of utopia. My North Korea series are a detailed recording of an ongoing pursuit of utopia. My artworks may be interpreted differently in different social contexts. As an independent artist, I certainly hope to have in-depth conversations and interactions within different social contexts. In the pursuit of truth, I remember what [the philosopher] Roland Barthes said: “To live to the full the contradiction of my time, which may well make sarcasm the condition of truth”.

Will you continue to go to North Korea in the coming years?

I have basically completed my North Korea series. However, there are still things that make it worth me visiting the country again. I am now in discussion with the North Korean government for my fifth trip to photograph the 70th anniversary celebrations of the Workers’ Party. Money is important for me to continue. I have spent about 1.5 million yuan (HK$1.9 million) in the past four years. I will also need to raise funds for the solo exhibition that they would like to host in the national museum and for the picture book.

You have been to Germany, Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic. What was your experience like in those places?

These countries have been decentralised into democratic states. However, there are still traces of socialist history. You could see the similar logic and mindset whenever you had a conversation with the local people, either at customs, in a hotel or a restaurant. Most people seem to be confused when the dream of capitalist democracy finally becomes reality. The idea of utopia again provoked much discussion during the economic downturn in European capitalist countries. But nobody knows what a workable perfect political system looks like. Each country has its own stage and considerations in the pursuit of a better system.