When AI remakes images, photographers turn back to reality at Kukje Gallery

Two exhibitions at Kukje Gallery in Seoul explore photography's enduring relationship with observation and material reality amid the rise of AI-generated imagery. Curated by Koo Bohn-chang, "Objects in Oscillation" features nine Korean photographers, while a concurrent show highlights Robert Mapplethorpe's sculptural approach to photography. The exhibitions run through July 19.

What can photography still do in the age of artificial intelligence? Two exhibitions at Kukje Gallery offer a chance to contemplate the question, bringing together nine Korean photographers and the late American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in a broad exploration of photography's enduring relationship with form, observation and material reality. The centerpiece is "Objects in Oscillation," a group exhibition curated by acclaimed Korean photographer Koo Bohn-chang, featuring works by nine contemporary Korean artists across the gallery. "As AI-generated imagery becomes increasingly prevalent, these exhibitions return attention to photography's fundamental relationship with observation, light and form," a gallery official told The Korea Herald on Thursday. Rather than relying on algorithmic image-making, the artists in "Objects in Oscillation" foreground direct observation, craftsmanship and the camera’s ability to transform ordinary objects into subjects of contemplation. Koo’s works, including his "Objects" and "Collection" series, focus on overlooked items such as empty boxes and found objects, revealing traces of absence, memory and use. "Among photographers working with still life, I chose artists who have spent the past 20 or 30 years building their own distinct bodies of work," Koo said on his curation on the exhibition. "What interested me were those who continued working with conviction, quietly pursuing their practice despite the challenge." Kim Su-gang photographs everyday objects such as stones, bottles and paper bags, capturing the quiet aura embedded within them. Using the labor-intensive gum print process, he creates painterly photographs that reveal the hidden presence of ordinary things. Jung Hee-seung explores the relationship between chance and structure through a new series inspired by French poet Stephane Mallarme, while Cho Sun-hi’s images of decaying flowers and fruit meditate on disappearance and transformation. Mapplethorpe’s exhibition, which concurrently runs at the gallery’s hanok space, examines the visual language underlying his celebrated images of flowers, portraits and nudes. While Mapplethorpe is best known for pushing social and artistic boundaries through his portraits, nudes and explorations of New York’s underground culture, the exhibition explores how the artist was equally committed to sculptural qualities of his photographs, bringing together images of flowers, classical sculpture, landscapes and the human body. The two exhibition run through July 19 at Kukje Gallery in Seoul. yunapark@heraldcorp.com