Four Decades of Seoul Seen Through 12 Photographers’ Eyes

Mega Seoul 4 decades presents the photographs of capital Seoul for 4 decades(the late 1960s~the early 2010s) through perspectives of 12 Korean photographers. The group encompasses elder, middle and rising photographers who are still active in the firm of Korean contemporary photography with different ages and backgrounds. They have captured the Seoul city in repeated vortex of collision and construction. The huge city, where different trends co-exist, is exposed by each generation’s distinctive perspective. It is from the late 60s, when everything headed to Seoul while people were singing the “Hymn of Seoul” until the present, when the city blew up to a global mega city. Although the photographers gave themselves into numerous changes and dissonances of the city, they show arduous photographic progress to reveal the inside facts and the hidden side of “Hymn of Seoul” responding with sharp and ironic perspective or remain aloof to the contradictory city. In this exhibition, audiences can experience the documentary of the old Seoul that vanished too many and too fast, and the city’s absurdity. 

Mega Seoul 4 decades will be held at two locations—Korean Cultural Center in Hong Kong and PMQ. This exhibition seeks to explore viewpoints that can be shared between Hong Kong and other modern mega cities which has historical and cultural similarities with Seoul. And also expects to become a positive opportunity to show various Korean photography, and to pave the way for cultural exchanges between South Korea and Hong Kong.

KOO Bohnchang, Toegye-ro, Seoul, 1985–89, 500 x 760 mm.

BANG Byungsang, Rescue Team, 2004, 800 x 1,000 mm.

AHN Sekwon, The light of Wolgok-dong, 2005, 1,500 x 1,920 mm.

LEE Gap-chul, Seoul, 1988, 660 x 1,000 mm.

HONG Soontai, Myeong-dong, 1974, 750 x 470 mm.