Seoul. Kreative Perspectives

From July 20, 2020, onwards, the Korea Foundation hosts its latest exhibition at the KF Gallery. “KREAtive Perspectives,” a contemporary photography exhibition organized in cooperation with the Embassy of Ukraine in Korea, features works from 12 Ukrainian and Korean artists. Seen from the artists’ perspectives, the objects and landscapes depicted in their works show, on the one hand, the universality of our daily lives, while, on the other hand, the works illustrate the diversity of the artists’ lived experiences and the differences of their photographic languages. Elaborately and exquisitely observed and captured by the artists, these quotidian impressions look familiar, yet strange and creative.

We reflected this familiarity and strangeness in the exhibition’s title, for which we coined the whimsical term “KREAtive,” inspired by the word “creative” and the four letters that the artists’ native countries, Korea and Ukraine, have in common. The objective of this exhibition is to showcase the works by leading photographers from these two countries, and to provide the audience with an opportunity to appreciate them, develop their own interpretations, and further widen their perspectives.

In the social media age, creating audiovisual records of daily observations is no longer the sole domain of artists, as people have become accustomed to sharing and participating in numerous aspects of each other’s daily lives. As a result, the audience may find reflections of themselves in the exhibits, while at the same time detect subtle, delicate differences in them. Focusing on the artists’ particular perspectives, the exhibition reveals traces of their respective concerns, while at the same time inserting their creativity into our daily lives.

The exhibitions also allows the audience to learn about the respective artists’ individual life philosophies, which they can detect as if looking through the viewfinder of their cameras. We invite you to explore the artists’ individual perspectives and expressions by appreciating their photographic works, rather than trying to find a single, definite perspective that runs through the entire exhibition, with certain themes or ideas in mind.

“KREAtive Perspectives” aims to serve as spatio-temporal forum where you can join in the journey of these twelve artists and teams from Ukraine and Korea to find motives in their daily lives and observe their inspirations and artistic expressions, while also allowing you to familiarize yourself with the latest trends in contemporary photography. Finally, the exhibition also aims to advance the cultural exchange between these two countries, with a particular focus on the visual arts.