100,000 Dreams

Exhibition Catalog / 1999, 100,000 Dreams

Paju Unification Park, Korea

Ik-Joong Kang

 

 

As a child growing up in South Korea, I often heard stories from my elders about their lives in a Korea that was one country. I remember how their eyes filled with the hope of once again embracing their long lost family and friends.

The ideologies that have separated not only the Korean peninsula, but also many other parts of the world for the last five decades, have become much less persuasive than when I was just a boy. Politicians and diplomats are working towards reunification, but I think we can also understand by looking through the eyes of our innocent children.

The project, 100,000 Dreams, is not about taking sides, but is an effort to see the future of Korea, or any other country in strife, at peace. We can travel to this future together through the 100,000 dreams of 100,000 children.

Korea is not physically reunifying today, but perhaps 100,000 Dreams can play a role in bringing the separated families by inviting children from all around the world to participate in this effort.