sungseok ahn projects historic present on the korean landscape

sungseok ahn projects historic present on the korean urbanscape
all images courtesy of sungseok ahn

korean artist sungseok ahn demonstrates the rapidly changing scenery of his native land in his series of photos, ‘historic present’. questioning the memory of past, the images overlap an ancient locale with a vintage image of that exact spot, simply situated on a projection screen in front of the scene. the black and white landscapes cast on the theater board before the now-urban settings reveal antiquity in a new manner, exposing the audience to a specific moment from the past. decorated with glittering lights and surrounded by fast cars and colorful commercial signage, the buildings’ present state has been widely changed from the landscape it once was, illustrating the quickly mobilizing dynamics between space and time.

a historic scene contrasts an urban setting

a black and white photo from the past is projected in front of a building

an ancient structure remains, yet the surrounding landscape has changed

the urban fabric of the site has changed from the image that is projected on the screen

a purple haze encompasses the scene

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