Spread the love

Scenes from the People’s Paradise – Pyongyang’ is a rare and fascinating glimpse into the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea (DPRK) – the so-called Hermit Kingdom – from intrepid world traveller and Melbourne-based photographer Nicole Reed.

Shot over the course of five days in early 2019, the resulting works provide an intriguing display of the architecture and people in one of the world’s most secretive cities.

Opening at aMBUSH Gallery Kambri on 15 November, the collection of over 30 photographs were taken during downtime, when Nicole was on assignment shooting a series of hotels in Pyongyang for an upcoming print publication.

Seeking inspiration in one of her interests – architecture – Reed set out to explore the capital city of the DPRK from the perspective of a non-judgemental newcomer. Even with her firmly established reputation for capturing unique experiences and extraordinary atmospheres in countries across the globe, Nicole admits that the scenes in the DPRK were like nothing she had ever witnessed.

“You’re met by your guide at the security desk at the airport, and your passport is taken away and not given back until you leave. It’s actually strangely relaxing because you don’t have to think for yourself, or organise your meals, or talk to anyone without your translator. And there’s absolutely no contact with the outside world – no phone, no Internet. Which means no-one can contact you either!” she explains.

Accompanied by a translator, Nicole was under strict rules about where she could go, what she could see, what she was allowed to photograph, and was unavoidably aware of the large military presence in the city. Nonetheless, she felt comfortable and safe.

“I didn’t even think about safety the whole time I was there. Everything was very structured. There’s really not much chance of you getting into trouble if you follow the rules,” she said.

Though her professional body of work for clients spans a range of subject matters – from people to furniture to landscapes – it has always retained a patently artistic feel, which is evident in Nicole’s images of the majestic and imposing buildings of Pyongyang.

Entire streets are filled with distinctive sporting stadiums, with the architecture often based on the sport it was built for – curved outlines for the weightlifting arena and a net-like shape for the table tennis stadium being just two of the many idiosyncratic buildings.

City streets and the train station also proved fertile ground for Nicole’s talent at conveying emotion and cultural significance via a single moment in time. Through her lens, a tableau of daily life in the DPRK has an ethereal, almost surreal and painterly ambiance.

‘Scenes from the People’s Paradise – Pyongyang’ aims to evoke a sense of place and mood that can be shared with a wider audience who would otherwise be oblivious to these spectacular and guarded settings.

Adding additional elements to the exhibition are a soundtrack and video projection, both of which will be on a loop and provide an authentic backdrop to the photographs as visitors wander through the gallery.

The soundtrack is a mixed tape of songs including one that’s played every morning in Pyongyang at 6am to encourage the workers. The projection has snippets of life recorded by Nicole as she walked around the city, including the Socialist Women’s Union of Korea, a group of housewives who perform a riveting routine with large red flags.

Nicole’s photographs have been printed on aluminium, giving them an expansive and luminous feel that does justice to the enormous scale of the panoramas she captured.

‘Scenes from the People’s Paradise – Pyongyang’ is curated and presented by aMBUSH Gallery Kambri, with opening night on Friday, 15 November featuring a VIP hour from 5:00-6:00pm, after which it will be open to the general public from 6:00-8:00pm.

Drinks from Capital Brewing Co. will be served, with live music from DJ Mia Sørlie. The gallery is located in the Cultural Centre Kambri, ANU Building 153, L2, Acton ACT, just above Harry Hartog Booksellers.

On Saturday, 16 November, Nicole Reed will be in the gallery from 1:00-2:00pm to participate in an Artist Talk. This event is free of charge to the public.

The exhibition will then run until Sunday, 1 December, showing daily from 10am-6pm weekdays and 12pm-5pm on weekends. Admission is free and all artworks are for sale, with the option of a fine art print of the works displayed on aluminium, if preferred.