I Like You! More Than Sundubu (feat. Bresson)

Bresson and Sundubu

I like sundubu. Actually, there is no food I dislike, but among them, sundubu, which has a soft texture as its base and can create various flavors by adding different ingredients, is a dish I quite enjoy. Sundubu jjigae served in a ttukbaegi pot, overflowing as if about to spill, offers more than just taste?it provides a sense of fullness and comfort.

But what I like even more is Henri Cartier-Bresson. Of course, he is a beloved photographer among those who first get to know photography along with Robert Capa and others, and at the same time, he is a photographer that many who are learning photography pass through. His natural snapshot style gives not only beauty but also surprise, but perhaps the reason is that one realizes it is nearly impossible to imitate.

Nevertheless, I was captivated for a long time by his famous ‘Ballerina’ photo (which can be seen at the entrance of the exhibition hall; the actual title is ‘Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare’), and I spent quite a long time trying to take ‘natural photos.’ Nowadays, I spend more time working in the studio, but on nice days, I still carry a camera and wander the streets, or carefully observe people sitting on the subway.

Passing through my twenties into my thirties, when gradually only his name remained in my memory rather than his photos, I encountered the exhibition ‘Henri Cartier-Bresson Photography Exhibition: The Decisive Moment’ (hereafter ‘Bresson Exhibition’) as if by fate. I had some time while visiting the Seoul Arts Center for another reason, and that step became my long-awaited ‘decisive moment.’

The Bresson Exhibition, running until October 2, commemorates the 70th anniversary of the publication of his 1952 photo book, The Decisive Moment. The Decisive Moment contains not only his artistic achievements such as perfect framing and mise-en-sc?ne beyond mere staging but also captures moments of the era, records of the scene, and intense life as he traveled the world. Photos taken while traveling in India, China, and other places are especially notable.

Therefore, the exhibition itself focuses more on the content related to the photo book rather than just hanging a lot of Bresson’s artistic photos and listing his greatness. Letters and notes related to the publication of the photo book, such as those from editor T?riade, publisher Dick Simon, and Henri Matisse who designed the cover, as well as writings about the photos he left behind, have been translated and displayed alongside the photos.

More than the photos themselves, I especially liked the phrases written throughout the exhibition space. They reflect the artist’s wish to capture still humanistic photos amid increasingly instant photography and relationships between people.

In the SNS era where ‘photo zones’ become the main attraction of exhibitions, the simple exhibition hall, designed with motifs of red and blue, black and white, gives a classic feel that suits the photos. Some visitors stayed quite a long time in front of the photos, while others talked as they viewed them. Nowadays, photos taken just yesterday disappear into the ‘back’ of feeds, and since most people carry phone cameras, I was curious about what each person thinks about photography.

After seeing the exhibition, I felt I couldn’t just leave, so I moved to Baeknyeonok, located opposite the Seoul Arts Center, and ordered sundubu jjigae. When I eat here, it is usually before going out for coverage or after finishing a busy coverage, often a late meal. The sundubu jjigae at Baeknyeonok, which I visited after a long time, had risen above ten thousand won in price, but the taste remained the same.

Proof of finishing a bowl in an instant

Having something unchanging means it is good for reminiscing about past moments. Another moment of my memories was added, captured by Baeknyeonok. Perhaps because I had just seen an exhibition by a favorite artist, the feeling was special. I promised myself that next time I see an exhibition, I will eat sundubu again, and I fell into thoughts about Bresson’s The Decisive Moment once more.

Photo by Seo Jeongjun

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