Works at the exhibition (selection)

State of Emergency, Photo series, 2000 - 2007

State of Emergency shows demonstrations and riots in South Korea, triggered mainly by the US military presence and its occupation of land. The Korean government enforces the resulting displacement of the impoverished rural population with massive police operations. The radical nature and often violent escalation of these confrontations often bring back memories of the Japanese occupation and various waves of expropriation after the Korean War (1950-1953).
Artistically, however, NOH is concerned with another phenomenon, too. The military education of the entire male population of South Korea, based on the fantasy of a constant threat from the North, is reflected in the uniform appearance of both sides: the armoured officers and the civilian groups.

Patriotic Road, Photo series, 2003 - 2004

The series of photos entitled Patriotic Road focuses on a line of conflict that also results from the history of Korea, particularly from the brutally waged Korean War, that caused the North – economically and militarily superior up to the 1960s – to appear as a lasting severe threat. The scenarios of this threat are used for ideological ends to this day. They lead to mass demonstrations of extreme nationalist groups who reject any rapprochement with North Korea. The vehemence with which this conflict is waged in public also reflects how deeply it divides society in the South – for example between pro-American and anti-American camps. The fact that the South Korean government has only recently begun to discuss abolishing a law prohibiting anyone from talking positively in any form about North Korea is further proof of this conflict.

Red House I – III, Photo series, 2003 - 2007

The Red House I – III series comprises black-and-white photos that deal with the way North and South Koreans see each other. Taken during an official press trip through North Korea, they show in various constellations how North Koreans look at South Koreans and vice versa. The camera always plays the role of mediator: as a filter and eye-catcher at once. In addition, the series consists of colour photos that NOH took during an official act of state at the Pyongyang stadium. They show the breathtaking tableaux vivants staged by crowds to pay tribute to the country’s landscape, economies, leisure time, and military power. NOH’s photographs focus on the tension between perfect choreography and its disintegration.

Forgetting Machine, Photo series, 2006 – 2007

The Forgetting Machine series deals with cultures of mourning work, focusing amongst other things portraits of deceased persons, which are displayed at a graveyard. The portraits represent the victims of demonstrations against the military government that took place in Gwangju (South Korea) in 1980, in the course of which hundreds of mostly young people were killed.

Black Hook Down, Photo series, 2006

The Black Hook Down series shows photos of the sky over South Korea: a sky dotted with US military helicopters.