“The German Library and Information Centre Pyongyang” by Sara van der Heide & Guests
Exhibition, Seminar|A library project as part of the 5th Guangzhou Triennial/1st Asia Biennial supported by Goethe-Institut Hongkong
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Sun Yat Sen Library of the Province of Guangdong
Supported by Goethe-Institut Hongkong to participate at the 5th Guangzhou Triennial, artist group Sara van der Heide & Guests will transform the Deutsche Informationsbibliothek in the Guangzhou Provincial Library into the once controversial first-of-its-kind German library opened in Pyongyang, North Korea by the Goethe-Institut between 2004 and 2009.
“Wir wagen ein Experiment, denn wir wollen als Erste dabei sein, wenn Ihr Land beginnt, sich zu öffnen.” (We are undertaking a risky experiment, because we want to be the first ones there when your country opens up.) With these words Jutta Limbach, the former president of the Goethe-Institut, opened the ‘Office for German Academic and Technical Publishing’ at the Goethe-Institut's Information Centre Pyongyang in secluded communist North Korea on June 2, 2004. This extraordinary initiative was perhaps bound to fail, and eventually the library would exist no more than five years.
The intervention in the Guangzhou Triennial is an imaginary transformation of the current geography of the existing library. Under this umbrella a set of cultural activities is offered to the audience, just as a Goethe-Institut operates. This time, it includes a reflection on the library itself and the historical context of the reading room and looking into the possible parallel histories between the two Koreas and the former divided Germany. During the triennial the library visitor can find several artworks in the book space. Books are artworks and artworks are books. On December 13, 2015 there will be a seminar with cooking performances, music, talks and screenings. In the library and during the seminar you can find responses and contributions from a company of artists from different generations coming from, amongst others, Germany, China and North and South Korea.
On 13th December 2015 there will be a seminar with cooking performances, music, talks and screenings.
More information: www.thegermanlibrarypyongyang.de.
“Wir wagen ein Experiment, denn wir wollen als Erste dabei sein, wenn Ihr Land beginnt, sich zu öffnen.” (We are undertaking a risky experiment, because we want to be the first ones there when your country opens up.) With these words Jutta Limbach, the former president of the Goethe-Institut, opened the ‘Office for German Academic and Technical Publishing’ at the Goethe-Institut's Information Centre Pyongyang in secluded communist North Korea on June 2, 2004. This extraordinary initiative was perhaps bound to fail, and eventually the library would exist no more than five years.
The intervention in the Guangzhou Triennial is an imaginary transformation of the current geography of the existing library. Under this umbrella a set of cultural activities is offered to the audience, just as a Goethe-Institut operates. This time, it includes a reflection on the library itself and the historical context of the reading room and looking into the possible parallel histories between the two Koreas and the former divided Germany. During the triennial the library visitor can find several artworks in the book space. Books are artworks and artworks are books. On December 13, 2015 there will be a seminar with cooking performances, music, talks and screenings. In the library and during the seminar you can find responses and contributions from a company of artists from different generations coming from, amongst others, Germany, China and North and South Korea.
On 13th December 2015 there will be a seminar with cooking performances, music, talks and screenings.
More information: www.thegermanlibrarypyongyang.de.
Location
Sun Yat Sen Library of the Province of Guangdong
No. 213
Wenming Rd
Guangzhou, Guangdong
China
No. 213
Wenming Rd
Guangzhou, Guangdong
China