Myeon-Bang

Myeon-bang is a dramaturgical reproduction of a textile factory floor in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) commissioned by CHAT.

It stages the shared realities of the domestic factory worker and the foreign tourist within the factory’s controlled environment as a tourist space. On this floor, the spectator becomes both the worker and tourist, the watched and the watcher.

Visits to light industry factories in DPRK have become a quintessential experience for foreigners. During these visits, factory workers and tourists engage in a highly controlled performance—the worker who gives a sincere display of her routine on the factory floor, and the compliant spectator who takes in this projected reality.

The scene setting in Myeon-bang is a DPRK cultural project that weaves a compelling tale of the nation’s second-largest export industry. It is inspired by multiple visits to Kim Jong Suk Textile Mill – DPRK’s largest textile factory floor in Pyongyang.

https://myeonbang.org/

Year 2021 Location Hong Kong Commissioned by Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (CHAT) Area 11sqm Status Completed Exhibition