Arts & International Affairs: Volume 2, Number 2 | Page 169

Many an artist has catered to power. Equally, many have challenged it. The
artist Ad Reinhardt noted in his essay “art is art” in ���� that art has its own
evolution and dynamics and must not have to be justified with any ism or
idea (Reinhardt ����). “Art-as-art is nothing but art” (p. ���). �
There is also no doubt that art can move us beyond divided experiences.
Foreign words that we may not understand can make us dance to a samba
rhythm or empathize with a soprano’s pathos. The idea of an intercultural
exchange rests on this relational notion, but it has its limits. When Conductor
Lorin Maazel led the New York Philharmonic through a rendition of the
Korean folk song Arirang at its concert in Pyongyang in February ����, a
standing ovation followed (Wakin ����). The audience and the orchestra
members themselves, including six of Korean origin, were deeply moved.
The controversial tour came amid Six-party multilateral talks to arrest North
Korea’s nuclear program. The negotiations broke down in ���� and North
Korea has continued its nuclear efforts. New York Philharmonic’s trip to
Pyongyang can be interpreted as one of the few moments when divided
people connected—through art. Or it can be dismissed as a sentimental
exercise, manipulated with propaganda, that did nothing to mitigate the
underlying conflict. Clearly, art cannot be its own arbiter.
Scan here for video of the New York Philarmonic
performing in North Korea
URL: http://bit.ly/1KsTeXp
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