A joint exhibition by photographers Shim Jang-seop and Shim Chang-seop runs through the 28th at KT&G Sangsangmadang gallery. Though their names are similar, the two have spent over 40 years working side by side with very different visual voices. Shim Jang-seop’s black-and-white series “Recording Records” documents Seodaemun Prison (서대문형무소) — a symbolic site of Korea’s modern struggles — capturing traces of isolation, imprisonment, torture, and the lives and sacrifices of independence activists. Shim Chang-seop’s color series “The Language of Verticality” focuses on utility poles (전신주) in the digital era, treating them as quiet symbols of communication, memory, and endurance as they slowly disappear. Together the show contrasts historical reflection with lyrical attention to everyday objects, offering a rich visual experience that blends national memory and personal nostalgia.
