The Eternal Landscape: The 10th Anniversary Retrospective Exhibition of Henri Cartier-Bresson

If you are traveling to Seoul then you should not miss this exhibition. Even if you are not into photography, this exhibition covers a lot of history from Europe, the USA and Asia. You will see portraits of famous people from Martin Luther King to Marilyn Monroe. From Carl Jung to Pablo Picasso. Examples of his work can be seen here. 

There is something that just resonates in your soul when you look at these iconic photos with soft music playing in the background. The lighting seems to block everything else around you. This well laid out exhibition takes you across the span of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s career. You will get to see the iconic shot of “Derriere La Gare Saint Lazare” from 1932 which is the symbol of the photographic technique called “The Decisive Moment”

The exhibition which has English interpretation, shows the ORIGINAL prints of some 259 photos including some unpublished works. The gallery will take you through his very early works right up to his more recent portrait work. It is a great collection of different styles that include street scenes, landscapes and portraits of famous people.

If you are unfamiliar with who he is, you will have no doubt have seen his work. He is a french photographer and the father of photojournalism. Cartier-Bresson has inspired many photographers for generations and coined the above term “The Decisive Moment” He also helped develop “street photography” that is gaining popularity these days (info courtesy of wikipedia).

If the photos are not your thing then the surroundings will be. The exhibit is being held in the M1 hall in Seoul’s Dongdaemun Design Plaza which is one of the more interesting architectural designs in Seoul. The spaceship looking building is a temple to design and creativity. Housing displays from Korean and international artists and designers, the “DDP” is a place buzzing with creativity.

When visiting, take some time to walk around and view the building. There is an interesting angle or view from almost every corner. While the design may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it certainly is interesting to look at.

Price: 12,000 won

Location: Dongdaemun Design Plaza, M1.

Subway Stop: Dongdaemun History & Culture Park. Lines 2 and 4

Dates: December 5th 2014 to March 1st 2015

Price: 12,000 for Adults, 8,000 won for students (middle/high school age) 7,000 won for children (elementary school age or younger )

Tickets: Available at the door or Online

Dates Closed: Mondays and February 19th (Lunar New Year)