A carte blanche offered to Korean curator Joanne Junga Yang, this group exhibition highlights five young Korean artists, emerging figures of the new wave of contemporary photography in South Korea, brought together for the first time in France. This exhibition gathers five distinct voices: Yisak Choi, Hyo-Jin In, Sung Min Lee, Hyundoo Park and Sun Hi Zo. Each of whom navigates personal and collective experiences through photography, transforming the medium into a tool of reflection and resistance. While their styles differ, these artists are united in their efforts to question and transcend the frames—literal and symbolic—that confine our lives. Yisak Choi examines the visual limitations of urban living; Hyo-Jin In critiques gender, desire, and consumerism through provocative aesthetic subversion; Sung Min Lee delves into nostalgia and urban memory; Hyundoo Park confronts systemic alienation and power structures; and Sun Hi Zo meditates on grief, disappearance, and the ephemeral. Their works reflect a uniquely Korean context shaped by rapid modernisation, shifting social values, and deeply rooted cultural symbols. Yet, the questions they pose resonate universally. By stepping beyond the frame, these artists invite viewers to confront what lies just outside the visible. In doing so, the exhibition not only presents a cross-section of Korean contemporary photography, but also a deeper understanding of how images carry the weight of our time, our society, and ourselves.
Joanne Junga Yang is the founder and director of Y&G Art Contemporary, where she leads global photographic initiatives in collaboration with galleries, private museums, and publishers. She served as Artistic Director of the Daejeon International Photo Festival and has curated major exhibitions for the Korea International Photo Festival, the DongGang International Photo Festival, and the Seoul Photo Festival, among others. Her book Photography, Curation and Exhibition became a national bestseller in South Korea. She has taken part in numerous juries and portfolio reviews at various international festivals.
