Korea’s latest addition to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage register makes an appearance in Greenwich this month. Full-size portraits of Jeju’s famous diving women by Hyung S. Kim; another chance to experience Mikhail Karikis’s video and sound installation Sea Women (LKL reviews the 2012 Wapping installation of the work here); plus, if like me you managed to miss Ko Hee-young’s 2016 documentary Breathing Underwater (물숨) at the film festivals a couple of months ago, there’s a one-off chance to see it again on Tuesday 7 March. More details on the National Maritime Museum website.
Haenyeo – Women of the Sea
5 March – 1 April 2017 | 10am–5pm
National Maritime Museum, Ground floor, Lecture Theatre, First floor, The Great Map
Join the National Maritime Museum as it celebrates the start of Women’s History Month with the opening of Haenyeo: Women of the Sea
Explore the fascinating lives of the female divers of Jeju in South Korea.
The story of haenyeo, the female divers and their community in South Korea is told from two different perspectives, through life-size photographic portraits taken by Hyung S. Kim and Sea Women, a video and sound installation by Mikhail Karikis.
Both parts of the exhibition celebrate the unique culture of haenyeo, who for centuries have harvested seafood from the ocean without any diving apparatus. The women dive for up to seven hours a day and range in age from 11 to over 60 years old.
Both artists’ work is an insight into the culture of the Jeju divers, who have contributed to the advancement of women’s status within their community, whilst promoting environmental sustainability with their eco-friendly fishing methods.
Haenyeo: Women of the Sea exhibition
The exhibition will open to the public with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sunday 5 March at 3pm, the Great Map, NMM.
Breathing Underwater documentary
Visitors can also view the documentary film about haenyeo on Tuesday 7 March, at 5.30pm in the Lecture Theatre, NMM, followed by a discussion with the artist.
