Catalogue published on occasion of the exhibition REAL DMZ PROJECT 2013 held at Artsonje Center, Seoul and the border area near DMZ, Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea from July to September 2013.

'Initiated in 2011, the REAL DMZ PROJECT took shape as an exhibition in 2012, situated in a selection of the border area near DMZ, engaging a number of sites that are part of the so-called "Cheorwon Security Tour Course". By examining the significance of "true" demilitarization in relation to the ironies inherent within of the Korean Demilitarized Zone, and raising consciousness the unavoidable historical issues, the REAL DMZ PROJECT aims to be much more than just an exhibition. The hope is that it will operate as an ongoing platform to develop and sharing a vast array of investigation and research. In 2013 the project expanded to include a monthly forum entitled DMZ Human Science – Cheorwon as a way to foster research into the historical and geopolitical situations of areas adjacent to the DMZ. During the time more focus was also put on ways to assist the artists in making site-specific artworks.

This exhibition is composed of two parts: One occurring in the border area near DMZ in Cheorwon and the other at the Lounge, Artsonje Center in Seoul. The REAL DMZ PROJECT 2013: Borderline takes place from 27 July - the anniversary of the cease-fire - in disused spaces within the so-called "Cheorwon Security Tour Course" around Cheorwon, surveying the influence that the sixty year old DMZ borderline has on individuals and on our society. The Cheorwon exhibition represents artists’ perspectives on a range of issues of division, derived from their observations of the DMZ. During the same period, the Lounge, Artsonje Center invites viewers to spend time with an archival exhibition which including a number of documents relevant to the DMZ.

The REAL DMZ PROJECT 2013: Borderline examines a range of borders that have been brought about due to divisions created through historical, political, economic, and social means, thereby drawing attention to the significance of (in)visible borderlines and the subsequent phenomena that they inevitably cause. It gives viewers the opportunity to reflect upon the implications of these borderlines, through the varying ways in which connections are made between the past, the present, and the future in the DMZ. Later on, from August 22, the exhibition REAL DMZ PROJECT 2013: From the North will feature in the second and third floor exhibition halls of the Artsonje Center in Seoul. This show will include photographs of the North by visiting artists, some projects focusing on the journeys of North Korean escapees, as well as works describing the relationships between the North and the South.' - from organiser's website.

Please note that only Asian artists or artists who live and work in Asia are indexed. With work description and artists biographies. For more information, please click here.