In the course of a long running ideological conflict North Korea is one of the most culturally isolated countries in the world, which reject any foreign influences through a tight control of media and communication equipment. To protect the NK identity from potential damaging western influences, short wave radios for example are banned while TV receiver are locked to tune only to the 3 official channels.
Paradoxically, with the support of pizza loving leader Kim Jong-il the first-ever Pizzeria was recently opened to provide an authentic Italian experience for a minority of wealthy political elite.
With the aim off challenging current cultural obstacles in North Korea, I have contacted a number of Chinese smugglers in China to distribute illegal propaganda over the border to North Korea, through the popular DVD format, which players are widely found in NK homes.
The Pizza to NK is the first in a series of designed insertions that explores how design can playfully contribute and impact on a social and cultural level, subtly challenging an ideological status quo.
Beyond Resistance on the Border 