good old bridges

(Old Bridges Re-trodden, Hanyang University Museum, Seoul, 26 November 2009 - 17 February 2010)

'Bridge' is one of the words that have the most metaphoric usage. It implies both parting and meeting. A bridge connects two different parts, but also when you cross a bridge, this means you leave one place off for another.

The exhibition Old Bridges Re-trodden brings us to the past when our ancestors built bridges reflecting the poetics and philosophy of life putting emphasis on the spontaneous harmony with nature. This show presents the works of photographer Jinyeon Choi who has documented the cultural heritage of Korea for the last 20 years. Among his photographs those of different bridges are what this exhibition is organised with.

SALGOZZI BRIDGE (PHOTO: HANYANG UNIVERSITY MUSEUM)

The photographic show coincides with the launch of archaeological excavations in the areas around the Salgozzi bridge to restore it to the original state. Built from 1420 to 1483, the stone bridge was designated as a historic site by the city of Seoul in 1967. It is 76 metres long, the longest existing bridge of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), and is characterised by its simplicity making the best of stone shapes as they were, without artificial banisters and other decorations.

PROCESSION FOR THE FUNERAL OF SOONJONG, JOSEON'S LAST KING,
ON THE SALGOZZI BRIDGE IN 1926 (PHOTO: OHMYNEWS)

In this exhibition you can find photographs featuring various bridges in palaces, fortresses and temples as well as natural brooks and rivers in Korea. In most Korean palaces, there are streams on the way to the Royal Office, running at a spot chosen by topographical divination as propitious for keeping off evil spirits. Every Buddhist temple has a bridge over a stream at the entrance, embodying a passage from this world of suffering towards the Buddhist elysium. A bridge across a pond alongside a gazebo is also a typical element of traditional Korean gardens made by the reclusive literati.

A BRIDGE MADE OF BRUSHWOOD (PHOTO: JINYEON CHOI'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE)

Some of the photographs in the show are the documentation of old bridges that have now disappeared due to modernising land development, of different appearances of bridges before and after repair work, and of traditional folk games of treading on bridges to forestall misfortune for a new year. Choi’s images, resulting out of his consistent concern with Korea’s heritage at the intersection of culture and nature, may not strike your eye at first glance for he captures these bridges in his photographs with little artistic flourishes. These modest and unpretentious photographs nonetheless have an effect of highlighting the bridge as an architectural form that has ample room for metaphors of life.