Hungary, Korea snap together in photography

Hungarian Ambassador to Korea Gabor Csaba, second from right, poses with representatives from the Korea Foundation at the opening ceremony for “A Tale of 2 Cities; Budapest, and Seoul” at the KF Gallery in Seoul on Jan. 21. / Courtesy of the Korea Foundation

By Rachel Lee

Korea and Hungary have captured the essence of each other’s capital city in photography.

Korean photographer Kim Jin-seok and his Hungarian counterpart, Gergely Szatmari, explored Budapest and Seoul, respectively, for two months for the collaborative project, “A Tale of 2 Cities; Budapest, and Seoul,” which is on at the KF Gallery in Seoul. The exhibition was organized by the Korea Foundation (KF), the Korean Cultural Center and the Hungarian Embassy.

“These two brilliant artists give us their version of Seoul and Budapest, respectively, both of them breathing and pulsating in their unique, yet comparable Korean and Hungarian manner, showing real emotions and giving the viewer a unique perspective of the two exciting cities and the people inhabiting them,” Hungarian Ambassador to Korea Gabor Csaba said at the opening ceremony at the gallery on Jan. 21.

The exhibition features about 100 photographs by the two artists, capturing every nook and cranny of the cities and their people.

Kim, known as a “walking photographer” in his country, has travelled the world capturing the “most beautiful moments of people.” He does it in his own way — talking and listening to people’s life stories.

“It was a special experience that I could take pictures of the city while I was travelling on the tram downtown in the Pest,” Kim said. “I have noticed that people in Budapest have something chic in them.”

Szatmari is a veteran photographer who has published books — “American Idler (2012),” “Meadolands (2011)” and “Conventional (2008).” One of his most recent photo series is “Meadowlands,” which represents the beauty of suburban America and the decay of the modern industrial era, and poses questions about America’s present and future.

“There are always lots of things people can marvel at, especially if you are in Asia,” Szatmari said. “The faces, habits, reactions and lights, they are all different. But in Seoul, things went easier than I expected. The Zaha Hadid building at Dongdaemun market was a great experience.”

According to the KF, the photographs were on display for two months at Carton Gallery in Budapest.

“In my view, these distinctly personal pictures draw us to Budapest and Seoul in new ways and make us love them even more,” the ambassador said. “This is a rich exhibition where everyone takes home what they like.”

It runs through Feb. 20. For more information, visit www.kf.or.kr.