The Korean DMZ seems like an unlikely place to find contemporary art. Yet, the Yeongang Art Gallery is perched on the edge of it, in an area known as Yeoncheon county.
The gallery exhibits art from around the world and serves as a concert venue. “It’s extremely interesting to see the contrast between the military and the geography here,” said Andrew Ananda Voogle, an artist in residence at the gallery.
In the region, wildlife has flourished due to the scarcity of human presence, but it also has to coexist with traces of the Korean war. “The government and the military don’t know where the existing mines still are, you have to be very careful when hiking or walking through this area,” said Vananda Voogle.
Will the Korean summit change the balance of this delicate region? Cho Moongil, a resident and farmer, believes not: “We don’t have any special feelings about it (…) They always say the same things.”
Those involved with the gallery think differently, though: “I have big expectations, especially because Yeoncheon is at the heart of the Korean peninsula,” said Yoon Dongchun, Director of Development of Yeoncheon government.
Watch the video above to find out more about the gallery.