Nicholas Bonner, owner of Koryo Tours & Studio, has been running tours and cultural exchanges with North Korea since 1993, in addition to producing and directing films focused on the country.
Amongst various art projects, Bonner co-curated the DPRK inclusion for the 6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art in Brisbane in 2010 and co-curated the North Korea content for the Korea pavilion at the 2014 Venice Biennale which was awarded the Golden Lion. His books include "Made in North Korea" and "Printed in North Korea" published by Phaidon.
Bonner works with a number of emerging artists in North Korea by providing them with a platform to experiment outside of their everyday restrictions. His ongoing projects include the creation of North Korea’s first children’s international film festival and setting up a museum in Tuscany for his company’s significant North Korean socialist realism art collection.
-KIM GWANG SONG, PHOTOGRAPGHER
The pandemic that closed the borders of most countries around the globe further isolated those living north of the 38th parallel that separates the Korean Peninsula. Yet life went on in the country referred to as the Hermit Kingdom during the Covids documentation of the ’s most famous actors. The photo sessions that took place between 2021 and 2022 at the Korean Film Studio in Pyongyang had the thespians reprise their most famous roles for the still camera. This was the first time a North Korean photographer had been commissioned for an art project and the first time North Korea had allowed their film stars to be shown beyond their borders.
