A Month-Long Special Exhibition at Sochon Art Factory
Twelve Years of Unwavering Documentation of Daily Life and Landscapes
Capturing the Passage of Time in the Region Through 120 Works
"I believed that documenting Gwangju was the very way to protect it."
Jinsoo Han, a 64-year-old taxi driver and photographer who has captured the life and landscapes of the region with his camera for over 20 years, is holding a solo exhibition.
The special exhibition "Gwangsan Embracing the Traces of Light and Time" will be held at the Cube Art Museum in Gwangju Sochon Art Factory from September 11 to October 19. The exhibition will showcase around 120 photographs taken by Han over several years, featuring the scenery and people of Gwangsan District that he has photographed daily. The works on display include records of cultural assets and old trees imbued with the changing seasons, pavilions, vanished traces, and remaining faces, all welcoming visitors.
Han began documenting through photography inspired by the memories of Gwangju in May 1980. He said, "I picked up the camera out of love for Gwangju. I have continued to take photos, believing that documenting is the way to protect Gwangju." After leaving his job during the IMF financial crisis, he continued to keep his camera close by his side even while driving his own taxi.
He has also been at the forefront of activities related to the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. In 2017, he participated as the team leader of the "Let's Go to Gwangju" 5·18 tour program, which was organized in conjunction with the release of the film "A Taxi Driver," helping to share the truth of the uprising with visitors from outside the region. He has continued to produce a series of photographs and exploration programs tracing the footsteps of martyr Yoon Sangwon, the spokesperson of the civilian militia, and in 2020, he held the "Haepa Yoon Sangwon" photo exhibition.
Notably, for the past 12 years, Han has documented the daily life of Gwangsan District on his Facebook page under the title "If You Know Gwangsan, You See Gwangju," without missing a single day. The number of photos he has accumulated so far amounts to around 200,000. Han stated, "I hope these records will serve not only as personal works but also as valuable historical resources."
The exhibition opening ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. on September 13, and admission is free. The museum is closed every Monday.
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