Axel Braun - work and projects

Scale model, Odusan Unification Observatory, South Korea, 2012

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A case study for DISTURBED HARMONIES [Anthropocene Landscapes]

The DMZ is a buffer zone in between North and South Korea. Large parts of it are fully isolated from human access. However, some sites along the zone witness a literal cold war tourism: travel groups are guided through museums with leisure park atmosphere and observatories that offer opportunities to glance into the enemy’s territory.

Reports about the DMZ usually mention its pristine nature. A remarkable ecosystem might have developed in the heavily mined landscape since the cease-fire of 1953. The unspoiled state of the exclusion zone and its extraordinary ecological conditions have been inspiration for a marketing campaign by LOTTE: the South Korean conglomerate uses DMZ as a brand for mineral water that originates from the groundwater underneath the demarcation line.

The project started in the framework of the artist-in-residence programme of Gyeonggi Creative Center (GCC) in 2012.