Dave Gilbert | 
05 5th, 2009| 
Did that get your attention?
Well, as dubious as the subject heading might be, it is actually relevant. Last weekend I was walking past St. Mark’s Church, when I came across an innocent looking glass cube in the middle of the square:
There was a largish crowd gathered around the cube, just staring at it. Being a curious pedestrian, I was about to ask someone just what was going on when a group of girls – dressed in North Korean schoolgirl uniforms – marched in single file twice around the cube and then lined up behind it.
The crown was quiet. Then one of the girls marched over to the cube, opened a door in the back, and entered it. She positioned herself in the front and began marching in place.
One by one, the other girls followed suit…
…until each of the girls – all 24 of them – filled the cube.
I soon found out that this event was a piece of performance art entitled “Bodies of Pyongyang”, and was supposed to represent the oppression of the North Korean school system.
To quote the information I got, “these tightly packed schoolgirls will try to move within the confined area expressing their emotional pain and struggle. Red strings symbolizing their dual inner states of suppression and resistance entangle the girls, further restricting their freedom to move inside this already constricting and hermetic space.”
It was an interesting experience to say the least. This all happened 3 blocks from my doorstep. There are days when I absolutely love this city.
-Dave
