Moonwon Suh Time Travel (Jongno-gu, Seoul), 2023
Contact Photo is pleased to present A Thousand Perspectives: Seoul Street Photography. This exhibition brings together the work of eighteen emerging street photographers based in Seoul. The show will be held at 51 Porter Ave., Brooklyn, NY and will run from July 12th to August 15th, 2024.
This exhibition is based on photos archived through Fujifilm Korea's social welfare program, "Seoul Record Project - A Thousand Cameras." The "Seoul Record Project" aims to document the rapidly changing present of Seoul for future generations. Starting in 2023, ten photographers each participated in the project over three months in key areas of Seoul. So far, 60 photographers have documented six regions.
Seoul, home to over 10 million residents, is a city with more than 600 years of history, where the past and present coexist densely. As a metropolis that has achieved rapid capitalist growth, it also faces numerous challenges and issues. Since the 1960s, industrialization has progressed swiftly, establishing basic societal infrastructure, heavy industry, IT, and government systems. Within a generation, South Korea became one of the most developed countries. However, this rapid growth brought about side effects such as fierce competition, extreme individualism, and materialism, resulting in high suicide rates, low birth rates, and low happiness indices.
This exhibition highlights everyday moments on the complex streets of Seoul—whether positive or negative—and unspoken stories, revealing the city's unique spaces. Through bustling markets, serene parks, and modern architecture, the exhibition critically explores the harmony and discord between the old and new in Seoul, sharing the multifaceted nature of the city.
While some strive to preserve and others to change, perhaps there is an inevitability of passage of time and constancy of change. The hope is that these fleeting moments will ultimately be remembered. This exhibition attempts to read the past and future of Seoul through its present. Through the perspectives of photographers who have documented the current state of Seoul, we invite you to also reflect on your own city.
The show features works by Dawoon Choi, Uijin Gu, Docwon Kim, Sanghoon Kim, Shinjoong Kim, Daehee Lee, Hoyong Lee, Jiwon Lee, Kangho Lee, Mihyang Lee, Keumnam Oh, Jungkeun Oh, Seungyeol Oh, Sunjin Park, Sohyun Song, Moonwon Suh, Seokpil Yoon, Yuseok.
Iron Velvet is an artist-centered platform founded by curator Young Jeon in 2021, starting as an apartment gallery in NYC. The platform supports and celebrates the works of contemporary Asian diaspora artists, as well as curators. It also provides gallery consulting and curation services. For more information, please visit ironvelvet.org and follow on Instagram @__ironvelvet__.
A Thousand Perspectives: Seoul Street Photography
Organized by Iron Velvet
On View: July 12 - August 15, 2024
Opening Reception: July 12, 5 - 8PM
Location: Contact Photo (51 Porter Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237)
Gallery Hours:
Tuesdays - Fridays:12 - 7pm
Saturdays:12 - 5pm
Sundays - Mondays: Closed
