In Classic Sequences, the single-channel work is projected directly onto the main and only screen of the Gwangju Theatre each evening, just before the final film screening of the day. It features extracted footages of radiant, standardised, socialist-style smiles, again, from North Korean films. Juxtaposed in a way that obscures their original narratives, these codified smiles appear repetitive, symbolic, and representative. By removing them from their original context in North Korea and relocating them within a South Korean cinema, the work reveals their performative qualities and invites reflection on the collective memories across generations.

Classic Sequences (2026)

September 5, 2026 2 min

Director: Zhang Peili

In Classic Sequences, the single-channel work is projected directly onto the main and only screen of the Gwangju Theatre each evening, just before the final film screening of the day. It features extracted footages of radiant, standardised, socialist-style smiles, again, from North Korean films. Juxtaposed in a way that obscures their original narratives, these codified smiles appear repetitive, symbolic, and representative. By removing them from their original context in North Korea and relocating them within a South Korean cinema, the work reveals their performative qualities and invites reflection on the collective memories across generations.

Director

Zhang Peili