Place | Asia: Korea |
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Accession Number | AWM2019.215.2.5 |
Collection type | Art |
Object type | Photograph |
Physical description | Photography; digital pigment print on archival rag photographique paper |
Maker |
Grant, Lee |
Place made | Australia: Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Korea: Demilitarized Zone |
Date made | 2019 |
Copyright |
Item copyright: AWM Licensed copyright |
And the rivers still flow towards an open sea: Korean Camo
Artist Lee Grant photographed this example of early military camouflage (most likely from the 1950s) painted on the wall of a military regiment in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea, in 2018 during a research residency. She explored the ongoing military presence and historic legacy of the Korean War. The photograph is part of the series "And the rivers still flow towards an open sea"; one of two that comprise "Mnemosyne" by artist Lee Grant, responding the history and legacy of the Korean War shared between the Republic of Korea and Australia.
Grant was selected by the Australian War Memorial as the Australian artist for the inaugural artist residency exchange project with the Republic of Korea. (Taedong Kim was the Korean artist, he spent a month based at the Australian War Memorial.) Grant travelled to Korea to research the history and legacy of the conflict. She visited historic sites and met with current and former service personnel and civilians who lived through the war. She then undertook research at the Australian War Memorial and met with Australian veterans. "Mnemosyne" includes two series of photographs, "Towards a field of sleep" and "And the rivers still flow towards an open sea". Grant's own photographs are complemented with archival photograph's from the Memorial collection. Mnemosyne is the name of the ancient Green goddess of memory and remembrance.