Towards a field of sleep: Shaman/Shindo ribbons ribbons on Daegwallyeong Mountain

This is one of a series of photographs by artist Lee Grant documenting life in South Korea living with the legacy of the Korean War and the potential for future conflict. It is one of two series of photographs that comprise "Mnemosyne" by artist Lee Grant, responding the history and legacy of the Korean War shared between the Republic of Korea and Australia.

Grant was selected by the Australian War Memorial as the Australian artist for the inaugural artist residency exchange project with the Republic of Korea. (Taedong Kim was the Korean artist, he spent a month based at the Australian War Memorial.) Grant travelled to Korea to research the history and legacy of the conflict. She visited historic sites and met with current and former service personnel and civilians who lived through the war. She then undertook research at the Australian War Memorial and met with Australian veterans. "Mnemosyne" includes two series of photographs, "Towards a field of sleep" and "And the rivers still flow towards an open sea". Grant's own photographs are complemented with archival photograph's from the Memorial collection. Mnemosyne is the name of the ancient Green goddess of memory and remembrance. The title 'Towards a field of sleep' was inspired by the poem "Towards the field of sleep" by Korean poet Choi Jeongrye.