Vacant buildings in Jeju City’s old downtown area have been repurposed into a photography gallery. For its first exhibition, images by (김수남) Kim Soo-nam are on display. Kim Minhoe has more.



Report

The old downtown area of Jeju City holds old stories, memories, and historic structures.

Sadly, the neighbourhood has been slowing down and stagnating.

Now, to reinvigorate the quiet area,

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Old buildings converted to gallery

the Jeju Foundation for Arts and Culture has transformed a public bathhouse and a guest house into an artistic site.

It has named the location the “(산지천) Sanjicheon Gallery.”

INTERVIEW
Lee Seung-mi / Curator
The gallery has maintained the look of the previous buildings. Visitors can see the past and present of old downtown Jeju. I hope locals will come to enjoy the art and the view of Sanjicheon Stream.
<인터뷰: 이승미 기획자>
"(갤러리가) 원도심 예전의 모습을 담고 있는 것처럼 오시면 예전의 모습, 과거와 현재가 공존하는 느낌이 들 수 있을 것 같습니다. 언제든지 와서 그림을 볼 수 있는 산지천 풍경을 볼 수 있는 공간이 되었으면 좋겠습니다."

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‘Kim Soo-nam Captures the Sea in Asia’
Through March 31

To commemorate the opening, a special photography exhibition is being held, titled “(김수남) Kim Soo-nam Captures the Sea in Asia.”

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‘Taewoo: Traditional Jeju Fishing Boat’ by Kim Soo-nam

The late Kim Soo-nam was a leading Korean documentary photographer.

He left behind a legacy of hundreds of thousands of photographs that capture Asian folk culture and shamanistic ceremonies.

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‘Ritual for a Good Catch in Wido’ by Kim Soo-nam

80 photographs that capture the lives of people in seaside villages, like rituals for safety and to ensure good catches, are on display.

The ocean is essential to those who live near it. It provides their livelihood, but can also be a source of suffering.

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‘Vietnamese Basket Boat’ by Kim Soo-nam

From serenity to violence, human beings have adapted to the many faces of the ocean.

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‘Jeju Haenyeo’ by Kim Soo-nam

Here, at the gallery, life at sea speaks through the photo frames.

[Reporter] Kim Minhoe
[Camera] Hyeon Gwang-hoon

“Kim Soo-nam Captures the Sea in Asia” is currently on display, and runs until March 31st, 2018, at the (산지천) Sanjicheon Gallery.

Kim Minhoe, KCTV