The Bright Colors of Despotism

The Grand Arirang Mass Games in Pyongyang, North Korea, are an artistic and gymnastics festival held annually from early August to early September. The name “Arirang” is a reference to a local folk song, considered by many to be the unofficial national anthem of Korea. It tells the story of a young couple, torn apart by an evil landlord. In the context of the games, this is an obvious reference to the division of Korea into a Southern and a Northern Korean nation.

Eric Lafforgue is an internationally renowned photographer from Toulouse, France. Ever since he was young, he has been fascinated by far away countries and travelling. He started taking photographs in 2006. Quickly, magazines and newspapers from all over the world like Geo, Nat Geo and Lonely Planet Magazine began using his work for illustrations of countries like North Korea, Papua New Guinea, or Ethiopia. Eric Lafforgue spends most of his time travelling and photographing the globe in order to share his encounters with others- “through the perception of an ethnologist and the heart of an artist”.

You can buy Eric Lafforgues’s pictures directly from his gallery on Photocircle, and stay up-to-date on his work via through his website.