Hyundai Museum of Kids’ Books & Art (MOKA) presents The World of Photographs, an exhibition that explores the diverse worlds contained within photographs.
We often think of photographs as records of reality, capturing things “just as they are.” However, photographs continually generate new meanings depending on the photographer’s choices and perspective, as well as the viewer’s own experiences. When combined with text, photographs become new stories; when multiple images are brought together, they can create unfamiliar and unexpected scenes. They can also hold traces of time within a single frame, transform imagination into something that feels real, and invite us to see familiar landscapes and subjects in new ways. This exhibition introduces the artistic practices of 14 artist from South Korea and around the world, each of whom creates unique visual worlds through photography. Through two thematic sections—Narrating Photographs, which explores the relationship between images and text, and Dreaming Photographs, where reality meets imagination —the exhibition examines how photography extends beyond mere documentation to become a medium of artistic expression and imagination. Through The World of Photographs, we hope visitors will experience the many scenes and stories created by photography and come to see the world beyond the familiar camera lens with a fresh and special perspective.