Koo Bohnchang, a crucial figure in shaping the foundation and development of contemporary Korean photography, is the subject of an extensive retrospective titled Koo Bohnchang’s Voyages at the Seoul Museum of Art’s Seosomun Main Branch. The exhibition provides a comprehensive overview of Koo’s entire body of work, highlighting how he opened new territories in Korean contemporary photography. Departing from photography‘s traditional role of mere documentation, Koo was instrumental in transforming the medium into an art form charged with subjective expressions that reflect attributes of painting, sculpture, and print. Organized into five sections, Koo Bohnchang’s Voyages unfolds in phases of initiation, development, and culmination of Koo's practice spanning three decades from the 1980s to the present. It introduces more than 500 of the artist's early and new works, along with a substantial selection of related materials and the artist's personal collections.

The exhibition begins with the ‘Cabinet’ section, presenting collections and studies from Koo’s formative years foundational to his creative journey. At the heart of the ‘Journey of Adventure’ section, which focuses on his early works, is One Minute Monologue (1980–1985). The series comprises four instinctive and spontaneous B-Cut photographs, conveying the artist's sense of alienation as a foreigner in Germany and the feeling of loss of upon his mother's death.

The ‘One World’ section features experimental works from a period when the artist's career and contemporary Korean photography gained global prominence, including Portraits of Time (1998–2001), which captures the traces of time on frayed walls with a distinctive painterly beauty. Next, the ‘Temple of Spirit’ section highlights the artist’s appreciation for Korean traditional culture and heritage, featuring significant works like Moon Rising III (2004–2006). In the series, 12 white porcelain moon jars from around the world are photographed in various black-and-white tones, creating different landscapes of the moon rising and setting.

Alongside the vast body of work, the exhibition also showcases the meticulous documentation that Koo has preserved over the years as an artist, curator, and educator. Tracing his lifelong dedication deeply ingrained in each refined photograph, viewers are invited to explore how the artist's work and contemporary Korean photography have developed in tandem with one another. As viewers navigate the journey of an artist who embarked on a long voyage in search of his own path, they are prompted to contemplate the meaning of their own existence and life.

Koo Bohnchang’s Voyages remains on view until March 10, 2024.