Interwoven (4 photos)
© Park Seung Hoon/Galerie Paris-Beijing. Above: Textus #017, 2009.
New Photography in Korea, the upcoming exhibition at Galerie Paris-Beijing, showcases a dozen photographers based in Korea, who are now on the cusp of international recognition. But it refers mainly to South Korea, the small discreet country in between China and Japan, who most often appears in the media because of the conflict with its awkward brother, North Korea. Since the 1980s we have been witness to lightning growth in “The Land of the Morning Calm”. The path that South Korea has taken since the devastating Korean War (1950-53) has, in only a few decades, transformed it from being a Third World country into a fully industrialized nation. One only needs to be there to appreciate its economic as well as cultural vitality, its perpetually changing urban landscapes, and its incredibly dynamic art scene led most notably by its cinema and museums, festivals, contemporary art fairs and other biennials of international scope. Not a day goes by without a new gallery opening in Seoul.
Urbanization, globalization, consumption, identity, culture, memory, family, sexuality, the fabric of society – these are the currents in contemporary Korean photography that are represented in the variety of themes addressed by this generation born out of the Korean miracle. To find out more about the exhibit click here.