Art Lighting Design for Negotiating Borders Exhibition

Negotiating Borders is the latest art exhibition on show at the Korean Culture Centre (KCCUK) in London. This exhibition is based on the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in South Korea and its border area with North Korea.

In addition, this innovative art exhibition from the Real DMZ Project features artists such as Heinkuhn Oh, Kyungah Ham, Lee Bul, Minouk Lim, and many others. Uniquely, the Real DMZ is a continuous modern art venture that embraces the DMZ as a pivotal element. Their long-standing vision is to create a platform that supports research methods and exhibition setups. Since 1953, the DMZ has been considered one of the world’s most heavily militarized areas.

Art lighting is pivotal in amplifying the narrative and ambience of such sensitive exhibitions. With the right lighting, artworks can come to life, revealing intricate details and stirring emotions in viewers. It’s not merely about illuminating the pieces but creating an immersive experience that guides the audience through the artistic narrative whilst evoking thought.

The artist displayed recent works through art installations, films, and sculptures. They confront the sensitivities and observations in addition to the realities of a divided Korean Peninsula. Engaging with this unique and complex territory, the artists present new commissions and recent works. Consequently, through their art, they confront the sensitivities, perceptions, and realities of a separated Korean peninsula. Negotiation Borders is constructed around two theoretical pillars of time and space to link the past, present, and future of the DMZ.

In “Negotiating Borders,” the lighting design serves to enhance the frame of mind and guide the audience’s gaze tactfully. By thoughtfully placing light sources and adjusting intensity, shadows, and colour temperatures, we aimed to evoke the essence of the DMZ’s dichotomous nature—its tension, beauty, and underlying narratives. With careful attention to lighting details, we sought to create an atmosphere where the art and gallery space merge seamlessly, inviting visitors to ponder the complexities of the border region from a different perspective.

We successfully delivered beautiful lighting design solutions for this project. It is the 10th artistic gallery lighting design project we embarked on for this client. Further, we assisted with the exhibition layout, light focusing, and overall light installation. Our lighting designers’ implementation provided KCCUK with an ultra-flexible and evenly distributed outwash light solution.

Furthermore, for “Negotiating Borders,” our team removed the LED light battens. This approach allowed us to create a more traditional, cohesive environment to complement the art. The curator and artists were delighted by the final result and the attention to detail in the exhibit show. We will spare you the technical details here and hope the pictures of the art galleries speak for themselves. However, you can visit the project page for further information via NB Exhibition.