Photographer captures pandemic's somber daily life in new exhibition

Photographer Bong-gyu Kim, a former photojournalist for Hankyoreh, presents "Contact-Free Era 2020-2023" at Gallery Index in Seoul. The exhibition features 15 photographs capturing the somber daily life and social distancing practices in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic, from January 2020 to May 2023.

Kim's work revisits the period when people avoided physical contact due to the virus. The photos depict scenes from urban subways, wedding halls, hospital rooms, and streets, reflecting the emotions and actions of individuals navigating the pandemic. The exhibition aims to remind viewers of the collective experience during those years.

One notable series captures people inside a subway train on the Han River Bridge in Seoul, taken from a distance of one kilometer. The image, with its stark lighting and the distant lights of Yeouido apartments, evokes a sense of isolation and quietude. Other striking images include a wedding ceremony where only the bride and groom are unmasked, and a scene depicting hospital staff immediately preparing a coffin for a deceased patient.

Kim, who retired from Hankyoreh in December, felt compelled to revisit his pandemic-era documentation. He spent over two months sorting through his archives before deciding to publish a photo book and hold an exhibition. He stated, "I felt that the records of the contact-free era shouldn't be left to gather dust."

The exhibition, which shares its title with a recently published photo book, offers a nuanced and metaphorical perspective on the pandemic. It provides a visual narrative of how people navigated the crisis, highlighting themes of distance, isolation, and resilience. The exhibition runs until the 13th.

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I felt that the records of the contact-free era shouldn't be left to gather dust.