UNSEEN: A First-of-Its-Kind International Exhibition on North Korean Women Opens in New York
UNSEEN, the first-ever international exhibition dedicated to North Korean women’s lives and voices, opens September 20-27 at 393 Broadway in Tribeca, New York, coinciding with the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.
Hosted by a consortium of human rights organizations Amnesty International, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), Hanvoice, International Coalition to Stop Crimes against Humanity in North Korea (ICNK), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), and Network for North Korean Democracy and Human Rights (NK Net), and curated by Korean-born Dr. Stephanie Seungmin Kim, the exhibit features 14 international artists who reimagine and amplify the untold stories of North Korean women - the quiet force sustaining underground economies, resisting patriarchal control, and ensuring family survival under one of the world’s most repressive regimes.
The show presents never-before-seen interviews with escapees, and archival footage alongside art that transforms prayer, protest, and survival into testimony.
“This is not just an exhibition—it’s a call to witness, to remember, and to act,” said Dr. Kim. “These women are not voiceless. We just haven’t been listening.”
Dr Kim added, “In 1950, UN Security Council voted to authorize the Korean War intervention while meeting in New York in 1950. This year, we mark the 80th session of the UN General Assembly and UNGA will be held here in NY. There is no more fitting time and place to confront the unseen conditions of North Korean women—whose rights remain unrecognized and their voices unheard. This city, a symbol of international discourse and possibility, offers a stage to insert their realities into the global conscience.”
UNSEEN is being promoted through a striking public awareness campaign featuring photographs of North Korean women by Mihaela Noroc. These powerful images will appear on Times Square billboards and across 68 newsstand advertisements throughout Manhattan. The campaign and exhibition were designed by Marina Willer, the first female partner at Pentagram, to challenge the public to rethink visibility, justice, and solidarity through the lens of those who were never meant to be seen.
Pentagram partner Marina Willer said, “The red dot plays a haunting yet unforgettable role in the visual identity of this campaign. By obscuring women’s faces across the campaign, it represents both an act of violence and a gesture of dignity—highlighting resilience even in erasure. This translucent intervention allows for both concealment and eye contact, urging audiences to confront their suffering directly.”
The exhibition opening will premiere the original campaign song Her Light: Unseen, composed by Yajac HS Kim and crafted with Grammy and Emmy-winning producers Clark Germain and Matthew Kajcienski of 2 Olives & a Twist.
Spanning 3400 square feet across two floors, the exhibition will blend sacred, historical, and radical visual languages. Upstairs, abstract works evoke protection and spiritual resilience through pagodas, prayer bows, rose windows, and moon jars. Downstairs, stitched portraits and multimedia installations reveal personal stories of grief, labor, and courage. The immersive soundscape, composed specifically for the exhibit, is synchronized with lighting installations to create a meditative walkthrough experience for visitors.
Opening on the 77th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UNSEEN stands as a reminder that the fight for human dignity continues through art, testimony, and the courage to witness.
UNSEEN is organized by MindMagnet, a next-generation strategic communication agency, bringing together expertise in human rights storytelling, media, and culture in Korea. Campaign identity and exhibition design are by Marina Willer and the team at Pentagram. Communications and publicity support by Hudson Cutler.
Learn more about the artists featured in this exhibition.
Emily Paulus
Hudson Cutler
+ 16107242957
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Instagram
Other
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
