curtain: inside North Korea – in pictures ‘Splashes of colour’ ... The country can be viewed as the Kim dynasty’s playground. All photographs: Ted Lau
Hong Kong native Ted Lau’s new book tries to understand everyday life in the ‘dystopian utopia’ of a totalitarian country shrouded in mystery
Wed 6 Oct 2021
I started this series to satisfy my curiosity about North Korea. Once I landed at the airport, everything seemed fresh and interesting, almost surreal. Then after a few days the surreal becomes normal and believable.
Between Doors: In the DPRK by Ted Lau is published by Daylight
The title of this book, Between Doors, is about the idea that a government’s grand promises to its people only hold up if you don’t look beyond the veneer. I felt an immense sadness that North Koreans are not the masters of their fate
Arirang Mass Games is the largest performance of theatre, artistry, gymnastics and propaganda stories in the world. 100,000 young, strong and agile North Koreans are carefully selected to spend eight months in intensive practice sessions. The themes are largely based on struggles against the Japanese, the division of Korea, the benevolence of the leaders and the advantages of socialism
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For North Koreans, what one can achieve is predetermined by the state. There is no understanding of freedom, and I believe there is great cruelty in depriving people of that
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The city of Pyongyang has two amusement parks. This is one of the few places where foreigners can mingle with residents and you can see North Koreans shriek, laugh and rejoice
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North Korea is completely shut off from the outside world. This is the biggest social experiment of its kind on the planet
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Contrary to popular belief, tourism is encouraged in North Korea, depending on the passport one holds. As outsiders, we realised we would never know what people’s lives were really like, but things started making more sense after a day or two
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Pyongyang was completely rebuilt post-1953, after being flattened by US bombing during the Korean War. While the east side of the city is packed with colourful Soviet-style concrete apartment blocks, the west side is filled with grand buildings, stadiums and newer developments. The two are separated by the Taedong river
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You can dream if you dare to, and you can try as you might, but no matter what you do, there is no freedom in the sense we understand it
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Prior to the Korean War, architecture in the city was rather grey. But under orders of Kim Jong Il, the country was splashed with minty greens, lemon yellows, sky blues, and neon and baby pinks
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In this dystopian utopia, there isn’t a trace of consumerist and capitalist culture, only the dissemination of ideas. This is evident on the bus stops and billboards that are painted with monuments, propagandist slogans or inspirational quotes for the betterment of the working society
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What I offer you here is my perspective of North Korea. This is a beautiful land, with a beautiful people. We all have the same basic needs and the same want for happiness and comfort. It is an immensely interesting place and how it develops from here is anyone’s guess
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Between Doors: In the DPRK Hardcover – November 30, 2021
by Ted Lau (Photographer), Yu-Ting Cheng (Foreword), & 1 more
Hardcover
from AUD 63.29
1 New from AUD 63.29
Print length 96 pages
The title of this book, Between Doors, is about the idea that a government’s grand promises to its people only hold up if you don’t look beyond the veneer. I felt an immense sadness that North Koreans are not the masters of their fate
Arirang Mass Games is the largest performance of theatre, artistry, gymnastics and propaganda stories in the world. 100,000 young, strong and agile North Koreans are carefully selected to spend eight months in intensive practice sessions. The themes are largely based on struggles against the Japanese, the division of Korea, the benevolence of the leaders and the advantages of socialism
FacebookTwitter
For North Koreans, what one can achieve is predetermined by the state. There is no understanding of freedom, and I believe there is great cruelty in depriving people of that
FacebookTwitter
The city of Pyongyang has two amusement parks. This is one of the few places where foreigners can mingle with residents and you can see North Koreans shriek, laugh and rejoice
FacebookTwitter
North Korea is completely shut off from the outside world. This is the biggest social experiment of its kind on the planet
FacebookTwitter
Contrary to popular belief, tourism is encouraged in North Korea, depending on the passport one holds. As outsiders, we realised we would never know what people’s lives were really like, but things started making more sense after a day or two
FacebookTwitter
Pyongyang was completely rebuilt post-1953, after being flattened by US bombing during the Korean War. While the east side of the city is packed with colourful Soviet-style concrete apartment blocks, the west side is filled with grand buildings, stadiums and newer developments. The two are separated by the Taedong river
FacebookTwitter
You can dream if you dare to, and you can try as you might, but no matter what you do, there is no freedom in the sense we understand it
FacebookTwitter
Prior to the Korean War, architecture in the city was rather grey. But under orders of Kim Jong Il, the country was splashed with minty greens, lemon yellows, sky blues, and neon and baby pinks
FacebookTwitter
In this dystopian utopia, there isn’t a trace of consumerist and capitalist culture, only the dissemination of ideas. This is evident on the bus stops and billboards that are painted with monuments, propagandist slogans or inspirational quotes for the betterment of the working society
FacebookTwitter
What I offer you here is my perspective of North Korea. This is a beautiful land, with a beautiful people. We all have the same basic needs and the same want for happiness and comfort. It is an immensely interesting place and how it develops from here is anyone’s guess
FacebookTwitter
==
Between Doors: In the DPRK Hardcover – November 30, 2021
by Ted Lau (Photographer), Yu-Ting Cheng (Foreword), & 1 more
Hardcover
from AUD 63.29
1 New from AUD 63.29
Print length 96 pages
===
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Hong Kong artist Ted Lau was born in 1989. Ted is an award-winning fine art photographer. Growing up in Hong Kong, Ted started taking photographs when he was 11. Being brought up in a city where the East meets West, his works have a strong influence from both spheres of the world. He later studied in London, where the western aesthetic made a further impact on him and his artistic perspective.
Yu-Ting Cheng is a fine artist based in Taipei, Taiwan.
Zahra Amiruddin is an internationally recognized free-lance writer and photographer.
Product details
Publisher : Daylight Books (November 30, 2021)
Language : English
Hardcover : 96 pages
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Hong Kong artist Ted Lau was born in 1989. Ted is an award-winning fine art photographer. Growing up in Hong Kong, Ted started taking photographs when he was 11. Being brought up in a city where the East meets West, his works have a strong influence from both spheres of the world. He later studied in London, where the western aesthetic made a further impact on him and his artistic perspective.
Yu-Ting Cheng is a fine artist based in Taipei, Taiwan.
Zahra Amiruddin is an internationally recognized free-lance writer and photographer.
Product details
Publisher : Daylight Books (November 30, 2021)
Language : English
Hardcover : 96 pages
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