Photographer captures the somber everyday scenes of the pandemic era

Photographer Bong-gyu Kim, a former photojournalist for The Hankyoreh, presents "Contactless Era 2020-2023," a personal exhibition at Gallery Index in Seoul. The collection showcases 15 photographs that reflect on the daily lives and emotions of people in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kim meticulously documented the period spanning from January 20, 2020, the date of the first confirmed case in the country, to May 11, 2023, when the government declared the end of the pandemic.

The exhibition offers a poignant look back at the three years and four months of the pandemic. Kim's work, characterized by a subtle, metaphorical approach rather than direct messaging, captures the essence of a society grappling with isolation and social distancing. One striking series focuses on passengers inside a subway train on the Han River Bridge, observed from a distance of one kilometer. The image, with its juxtaposition of the train's interior lights and the distant apartment lights of Yeouido, evokes a unique atmosphere of urban solitude.

Other impactful images include a wedding ceremony where only the bride and groom are unmasked, a stark depiction of a COVID-19 patient's coffin being prepared immediately after death in a hospital room, and the backs of pedestrians walking at a distance on a rainy night. These scenes, captured with a keen eye, delve into the subtle nuances of life and emotion during a time of unprecedented disruption. The exhibition, and its accompanying photo book published by Noonbit, invites viewers to revisit the shared experiences and anxieties of the pandemic era.