A unique art exhibition is offering civilians a rare opportunity to explore one of the world's most heavily fortified borders through the eyes of contemporary artists. The "DMZ Open Exhibition: Undo DMZ" takes place in Tongilchon, also known as Unification Village, a restricted community located just two kilometers south of the Korean Demilitarized Zone in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.
Tongilchon sits approximately 50 kilometers from Seoul and houses around 400 residents within a heavily secured buffer zone between the militarized border and civilian areas. To enter this village, visitors must cross the 900-meter-long Unification Bridge, pass through security checkpoints, present identification, and obtain prior authorization. The village exists within the broader context of the DMZ, a 4-kilometer-wide zone that has separated North and South Korea since the Korean War armistice.
The exhibition, running through November 5, is curated by Kim Sun-jeong, one of Korea's leading contemporary art curators who has been developing DMZ-related projects since 2012. This latest iteration features works by ten artists who explore the complex realities of Korea's divided landscape. Kim explained that her recent approach has shifted from focusing primarily on political contexts to recognizing the area's ecological potential after decades of minimal human presence.
The exhibition's title draws inspiration from artist Yang Hae-gue's wallpaper installation "DMZ Un-Do," which is displayed in the neighborhood's grain storage facility. This work presents a bird's-eye view of the DMZ's complex spatial reality through images of pollen, robot bees, solar panels, electric fans, and electricity transmission towers. The Korean title incorporates the word "Bi-haeng," which carries dual meanings of both "flying" and "misdeed," reflecting the layered symbolism of the border region.
Yang Hae-gue's contribution extends beyond the titular piece to include "Yellow Dance," a video work set in an imaginary postwar Cheorwon neighborhood near the DMZ. This piece reframes historical conflict through the perspective of Bonghee, a worker bee, representing non-human viewpoints on the divided landscape. The video is accompanied by "Piri for Solo Oboe" by renowned Korean composer Yun I-sang, who faced stigmatization as a pro-North Korean figure during the government's ideological crackdowns of the late 1960s.
Reflecting on her work, Yang noted that entering the DMZ always reminds her of what it means to live as a "civilian." She emphasized that while most people's lives unfold in civilian spaces, they rarely pause to reflect on that reality. Her artistic exploration examines how spaces constrained by military restrictions can be reinterpreted through civilian perspectives. Regarding Yun I-sang's inclusion, Yang observed that his life exemplified an artist's fate shaped by Cold War tensions, noting the paradox that while his name is familiar to most Koreans, many cannot recall specific pieces of his music.
Artist Park Jung-sik contributes an ecological dimension to the exhibition through his installation "A Flower on a (Sorrowfully) Fertile Land." Park conducted extensive research into the DMZ's Paju region, collecting leaves, seeds, flowers, and bird feathers from nearby neighborhoods including Tongilchon. He preserved these specimens using both wet and dry techniques, arranging them geographically to indicate their collection locations. This installation demonstrates the remarkable biodiversity thriving near the border area, with Park noting that "even in the face of war and division, nature has continued its beauty."
The exhibition extends to Gallery Greaves, located near Tongilchon in a former bowling alley within the defunct Camp Greaves, a US military base that operated from 1953 to 2004. Here, visitors encounter Hong Young-in's sound installation "Accidental Paradise," which fills the gallery space with crane calls. This auditory experience complements her installation "White Cranes and Snowfall," featuring eight pairs of shoes designed for cranes, created in collaboration with traditional straw-weaving masters.
Hong's crane-focused works emerged from her winter 2024 research trip to the DMZ, where she encountered migrating cranes that had found an unexpected paradise in this restricted zone. Each pair of crane shoes carries whimsical humor, personifying these birds by imagining them wearing specially designed footwear like humans might. The installation reflects the unexpected ways wildlife has adapted to and thrived in the militarized landscape.
A third venue, Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Park, provides a expansive setting with wide green lawns showcasing four installations by Oh Sang-min, Won Seoung-won, and Yang Hae-gue. Oh Sang-min's "Light: Of Nature and Lines In Between" abstracts forms of plants native to the DMZ using metallic yarn knitting techniques. The choice of metallic materials deliberately reflects the symbolism of the DMZ's ubiquitous barbed wire fences, creating a artistic dialogue between natural growth and military barriers.
For general audiences seeking to experience this unique exhibition, access is carefully coordinated through official channels. Visitors can reach Tongilchon by booking the Peace Tour Shuttle, while Gallery Greaves is accessible via the Peace Gondola. Both transportation options depart from Imjingak, a tourism complex dedicated to DMZ-related activities in Paju. The Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Park, which forms part of this tourism complex, remains open to the general public without special authorization.
This exhibition represents a significant cultural moment, transforming one of the world's most militarized borders into a space for artistic reflection and ecological awareness. By bringing contemporary art into these restricted zones, the project offers new perspectives on Korea's division while highlighting the unexpected natural paradise that has emerged in humanity's absence. The collaboration between international and Korean artists creates a multifaceted exploration of themes ranging from political division to environmental resilience, making the exhibition a unique intersection of art, politics, and ecology in one of Asia's most sensitive regions.
