Artists, Art and Culture of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

It's not often that the flag of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (D.P.R.K.) flies over London's Pall Mall, a few hundred yards from Trafalgar Square, but it was this week during a rare exhibit of North Korean artwork from the isolated nation's "people's artists," a select group that numbers less than a dozen. One attendee of the opening, which featured North Korean diplomats and …

Ryan Heshka

Almost two years ago, while roaming through downtown Vancouver, I came across a postcard for an exhibition by local artist Ryan Heshka. The painting on the postcard was of a beetle riding on the back of a bright yellow baby chicken—and I loved it! Sadly, the show was already over, but I took the postcard home and contacted Ryan through his website. It turned out …

Bridge

Bridge was London artist Michael Cross' installation for the 2006 London Design Festival, allowing any member of the flock to walk on water inside a former church. Cross achieved the effect by half-filling the century-old church with water and installing steps that seemed to magically appear as visitors walked across the water. Purely mechanical, the weight of a person activates each step, which rises just …