Kim Il Sung

Noth Korean Art Found Has No Market Impact

Filed under: Art

Usually, when rare art is discovered, the auction houses go crazy, and collectors salivate. Well, when the discoveries come in North Korea, there's little the art market can do to participate. Nine pieces depicting Kim Il Sung were discovered, according to the state news service, Korea Central News Agency (so, a grain of salt is necessary, here). Reportedly, the artwork dates "back to the period of the anti-Japanese armed struggle" and "highly laud[s] him as a central figure in the national liberation struggle and the invincible and iron-willed commander who led huge enemy troops by the nose."

Needless to say, I've never seen a piece by Picasso described this way ... and certainly not one by Damien Hirst.

The works are said to be of historical significance, apparently fitting into the historical tradition of works that "truthfully deal with the noble traits of the President who left lots of legends about his love for people behind."

Though indirect, the pieces are suggested to be the work of Kimg Jong Suk, Kim Il Sung's first wife and, according to the KCNA, "a great pioneer of the anti-Japanese revolutionary fine art and a forerunner in creating fine art works depicting the leader."

Source

Tags: art market, dprk, Kim Il Sung, north korea

Asian Art Fuels Political Speculation

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

There have always been connections between art and politics. Whether you scan the crowd behind Plato and Aristotle (where you'll see Ptolemy wowing a small crowd) or step back from Pablo Picasso's "Guernica" in Madrid, you'll see messages subtle and overt. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that portraiture is telegraphing who North Korea's next leader will be.

Homes and business establishments in North Korea tend to have two portraits on display: Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. A third is now ready for public display: Kim Jong-un. He is Kim Jong-il's third son and is rumored to be next in line for the top position in the country, according to "Rescue the North Korean People! Urgent Action Network," which usually goes by the much more compact acronym RENK. The group says that the portraits are ready to go, and "we assume that these will be distributed on Kim Il-sung's birthday, which falls on April 15."

Other signs that Jong-un is likely to take the lead next in North Korea also fall distinctly into the "lifestyle" category. His birthday, January 8, has been made a national holiday. This year, it was celebrated, at least quietly, with a collection of songs dedicated to him. Also, anyone who has the same name as the new leader has been instructed to change it.

Interestingly, the portrait will offer a first look at Jong-un for many, especially outside North Korea. So far, only two photos have been found: one at age 11 (furnished by his former Japanese cook) and another at age 16 (shot when he was in boarding school in Switzerland).

Source

Tags: artwork, Kim Il Sung, kim jong il, Kim Jong-Il, kim jong-un, north korea, politics