May-19: Let's Go to the Province Hall

On May 1980, the massacre of Gwangju citizens who protested the dictatorship of President Chun Doofan by the Korean military troops led to the uprising of citizens for the resistance. In this milestone incident, now known as the Gwangju People's Struggle which triggered the Democracy Movement thereafter, Hong Sungdam was engaged in the cultural propagation team, and has been active in questioning of the state's violence until today, despite various hardships he had, such as torture during his imprisonment and confiscation of his works. The 50 works assembled into the portfolio "Dawn" are precious documents of violent scenes, such as the assaults of military forces under Martial Law, brave battles of Citizen Troop, activities of citizen's peaceful communities, the fall of Chunnam Province Hall, the citadel of the Citizen Troop, etc. They are also impressive in the intense energy of people rising up from the darkness, in the development from the democracy movement to the grand ideals of harmony with nature and finally of the unity of two Koreas, and thus these works are monuments to the achievement of People's Art in Korea. "Let's Go to the Province Hall" depicts citizens who triumphantly proceed to the Province Hall where the Citizen Troop was based after they successfully, but temporarily, swept away the dictator's forces on May 21. (KR)