The installation view of the exhibition, Courtesy of Museum Hanmi
In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation and the founding of Austria’s Second Republic, the Korean Cultural Center in Austria, in collaboration with Museum Hanmi, presents the exhibition Mega Seoul 8 Decades, on view from April 11 to July 11, 2025. The exhibition revisits and expands upon the 2012 presentation of the same title, offering an in-depth photographic exploration of Seoul’s urban and cultural metamorphosis from the 1950s to the present.
Featuring works by 12 prominent Korean photographers, including Lee Hyung Rok, Hong Soon Tae, Ku Bon Chang, Lee Gap Chul, and Song Young Sook, the exhibition captures 80 years of Seoul’s evolution, as seen through personal and generational lenses. From the aftermath of the Korean War to the cosmopolitan boom of the Olympic era and the hypermodern urban landscape of the 21st century, the photos reflect a city of profound contradictions—where tradition and modernization clash, coexist and redefine each other.
The installation view of the exhibition, Courtesy of Museum Hanmi
The exhibition highlights over 50 works, spanning gelatin silver prints, C-prints, and large-format inkjet works, each embodying unique perspectives on Seoul. In Lee Hyung Rok’s photograph Shoe Shiner, Namdaemun Market (1956), viewers encounter a now-vanished street scene of post-war Seoul. Other key works include Myeong-dong (1974) by Hong Soon Tae, Seoul (1988) by Lee Gap Chul, and Light of Wolgok-dong (2005) by Ahn Se Kwon. These images chronicle the city not just in its architectural transformations, but in its emotional and cultural atmospheres, captured across generations.
The exhibition foregrounds the paradoxical nature of Seoul as experienced by its inhabitants—whether born in the city or drawn to it from elsewhere. Each photographer treats Seoul as both an intimate home and alien territory, offering deeply personal yet radically different interpretations of urban life. Their cameras function not only as recording devices but as tools of reflection, expressing nostalgia, irony, and sharp critique in equal measure.
The installation view of the exhibition, Courtesy of Museum Hanmi
Of particular note is the inclusion of veteran realist photographer Lee Hyung Rok, whose rarely seen early works from the 1950s and 60s bring a poignant historical depth to the exhibition. These images not only document the nascent stages of Korea’s urbanization but also offer Austrian viewers an opportunity to examine the visual history of Seoul through an archival, artistic lens.
To mark the exhibition’s opening on April 11, Song Young Sook, director of Museum Hanmi and one of the participating artists, hosted a special talk. The session traced her path in founding Korea’s first photography-focused art museum, her efforts in expanding public access to photographic culture, and her artistic practice.
The installation view of the exhibition, Courtesy of Museum Hanmi
Curated by Museum Hanmi and supported by the Korean Cultural Center in Austria and the Gahyun Foundation, this exhibition seeks to offer Austrian audiences a nuanced and layered introduction to Seoul’s complex identity. As curator, Lim Jin Hong remarked, “This exhibition presents a rare opportunity to reflect on the many layers of Seoul’s transformation over the past 80 years, and we hope visitors will gain a deeper understanding of the city through the eyes of its photographers.”
Mega Seoul 8 Decades is on view at the Korean Cultural Center in Vienna, with free admission from Monday to Friday, 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM.
Sayart / Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com
The installation view of the exhibition, Courtesy of Museum Hanmi
In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation and the founding of Austria’s Second Republic, the Korean Cultural Center in Austria, in collaboration with Museum Hanmi, presents the exhibition Mega Seoul 8 Decades, on view from April 11 to July 11, 2025. The exhibition revisits and expands upon the 2012 presentation of the same title, offering an in-depth photographic exploration of Seoul’s urban and cultural metamorphosis from the 1950s to the present.
Featuring works by 12 prominent Korean photographers, including Lee Hyung Rok, Hong Soon Tae, Ku Bon Chang, Lee Gap Chul, and Song Young Sook, the exhibition captures 80 years of Seoul’s evolution, as seen through personal and generational lenses. From the aftermath of the Korean War to the cosmopolitan boom of the Olympic era and the hypermodern urban landscape of the 21st century, the photos reflect a city of profound contradictions—where tradition and modernization clash, coexist and redefine each other.
The installation view of the exhibition, Courtesy of Museum Hanmi
The exhibition highlights over 50 works, spanning gelatin silver prints, C-prints, and large-format inkjet works, each embodying unique perspectives on Seoul. In Lee Hyung Rok’s photograph Shoe Shiner, Namdaemun Market (1956), viewers encounter a now-vanished street scene of post-war Seoul. Other key works include Myeong-dong (1974) by Hong Soon Tae, Seoul (1988) by Lee Gap Chul, and Light of Wolgok-dong (2005) by Ahn Se Kwon. These images chronicle the city not just in its architectural transformations, but in its emotional and cultural atmospheres, captured across generations.
The exhibition foregrounds the paradoxical nature of Seoul as experienced by its inhabitants—whether born in the city or drawn to it from elsewhere. Each photographer treats Seoul as both an intimate home and alien territory, offering deeply personal yet radically different interpretations of urban life. Their cameras function not only as recording devices but as tools of reflection, expressing nostalgia, irony, and sharp critique in equal measure.
The installation view of the exhibition, Courtesy of Museum Hanmi
Of particular note is the inclusion of veteran realist photographer Lee Hyung Rok, whose rarely seen early works from the 1950s and 60s bring a poignant historical depth to the exhibition. These images not only document the nascent stages of Korea’s urbanization but also offer Austrian viewers an opportunity to examine the visual history of Seoul through an archival, artistic lens.
To mark the exhibition’s opening on April 11, Song Young Sook, director of Museum Hanmi and one of the participating artists, hosted a special talk. The session traced her path in founding Korea’s first photography-focused art museum, her efforts in expanding public access to photographic culture, and her artistic practice.
The installation view of the exhibition, Courtesy of Museum Hanmi
Curated by Museum Hanmi and supported by the Korean Cultural Center in Austria and the Gahyun Foundation, this exhibition seeks to offer Austrian audiences a nuanced and layered introduction to Seoul’s complex identity. As curator, Lim Jin Hong remarked, “This exhibition presents a rare opportunity to reflect on the many layers of Seoul’s transformation over the past 80 years, and we hope visitors will gain a deeper understanding of the city through the eyes of its photographers.”
Mega Seoul 8 Decades is on view at the Korean Cultural Center in Vienna, with free admission from Monday to Friday, 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM.
