LATE OCTOBER

Anyone in Beijing? If so please visit my exhibition. Opens 10th  November.

I am in Seoul, South Korea where there is a abundance of spicy pickled vegetables, ginseng and plenty of very good design. The art to be found here is also big and strong ranging from ancient scrolls and carved calligraphy on rocks to cyber-punk-robotic-funk

Beside numerous artworks I have watched tree surgeons or rather tree manicurists delicately snipping away at unpleasing leaves and buds on conifers underneath massive pulsing public TV screens where the latest K-Pop star wobbles about with rather childish blissful aggression, seducing pubescent youth with either puppy love songs or puppy angst.

Around the N-Seoul Tower overlooking the city lovers come to watch their city of 10 million do it’s thing. Millions of metal locks are attached to the fences to mark out each couple commitments while below in the restaurants and bars diners and drinkers also show their strong commitments to food and drink.  I think I like South Korea.

The mono cultured land of the Republic of South Korea lives next door to a very strange place called North Korea. A visit to the DMZ area displayed to me a constant intense military standoff lasting six decades along a 240 km. long border. It’s a serious no-mans land that has by default turned into an eco-zone of sorts as no man has lived there for some time. This is an eerie severe place that should not exit but it does. I bought blueberry wine as I listened to heavy gunfire training in the military camp over the hill.

The autumn colors are gorgeous in the mountains and that is where I escaped to. I search for mist, fresh air and inspiration up the historically important and shamanistic seasoned Mt Taebaeksan. (1567m) I soon dive back into the Beijing studio and into another form of haze. Chemical laden clouds. I shall hold my breath for as long as possible.