The Korean Cultural Center in Hungary Presents Four Korean Artists at the '2021 Budapest Photo Festival'

Online Exhibition of 4 Korean Documentary Filmmakers
Sequential Release from March 15 to September 30

'Nature's Counterattack' by artist Yoon Gil-jung, who participated in the 2021 Budapest Photo Festival.

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] The Korean Cultural Center in Hungary announced on the 15th that it will hold an online exhibition titled "What is Next? 2" at the Budapest Photo Festival, introducing works by four Korean documentary photographers in Hungary.

The Budapest Photo Festival is the largest photography festival in Hungary. Since 2016, starting with "Imaging Korea, People, Land, and Beyond Time," the Korean Cultural Center has annually introduced representative Korean artists and their works to the local audience through the Budapest Photo Festival.

This exhibition features Lee Daesung, the first Korean to win twice at the world-renowned Sony World Photography Awards. Also participating are outstanding Korean documentary photographers Yoon Giljung, Jang Yonggeun, and Park Hyungki. The works will be showcased sequentially from the 15th of this month until September 30th through the Hungarian Korean Cultural Center’s ‘The On-ON’ and the official Budapest Photo Festival website.

"What is Next? 2" is the second series following "What is Next?" by Hungarian artists who participated in last year’s Korean residency program. It focuses on the ‘new normal’ era, which has changed or is expected to change due to COVID-19. It explores universal themes that transcend the future (human desires and emotions, capital, the global environment, etc.) through the perspectives of Korean artists.

The first exhibition is Yoon Giljung’s "Nature’s Counterattack (March 15?April 30)," which focuses on ‘regeneration,’ a concept he has long pursued by giving new life to objects. It addresses climate change and environmental pollution using recycled plastic chips. Created with the hope of a fundamental change in thinking about humanity’s biggest problems?climate change and environmental pollution?it ironically expresses environmental issues by using recycled plastic chips made from the most consumed plastic in modern civilization, which pursues convenience above all.

The second exhibition is Jang Yonggeun’s "37.5℃ (May 3?June 18)," who has been steadily working with an interest in urban and environmental issues based in Daegu. He filmed a COVID-19 designated hospital in Daegu, capturing the hospital staff and the surrounding scenes.

The third exhibition is Park Hyungki’s "A Slightly Different Everyday Life (June 21?July 30)," which won the 2020 Onbit Photography Award, a prestigious domestic documentary photography award. It records the changed daily life due to COVID-19, which may never return to the way it was before.

The final exhibition features Lee Daesung’s "Future Archaeology" and "On the Beach of a Disappearing Island." The exhibition runs from August 2 to September 30. It is the first time in Hungary to introduce a series depicting the Mongolian region undergoing desertification due to environmental destruction and climate change, and the small island "Gorama" on the coast of West Bengal, India, which is facing imminent disappearance.

Mucsy Szilvia, Chairperson of the Budapest Photo Festival Organizing Committee, said, "There is great local interest and expectation for Korean works," adding, "We hope this exhibition will provide Hungarians with a more diverse experience of Korean works and serve as an opportunity to broaden their understanding of Korean culture."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.