The Oegyujanggak Uigwe is a unique cultural heritage artifact, significant both as a historical record and for its story of being taken overseas for a long period before returning to Korea. Therefore, my goal was to highlight both the basic characteristics of the Uigwe as records and the story of the Oegyujanggak Uigwe being taken and then returned, in order to draw visitors into the narrative.

Since the Oegyujanggak Uigwe were royal records stored in the “Oegyujanggak” on Ganghwado Island, we drew inspiration from royal architecture and developed the spatial design around the theme “The King’s Archive.” The story of the Uigwe’s plunder and return is presented symbolically at the entrance through a cluster display of torn silk covers. Inside, we used walls shaped like traditional window lattices along with soft lighting to create a calm atmosphere, as if entering a quiet archive. I believe that sometimes a space’s mood and presentation can convey more than explanatory text.

First, the Oegyujanggak Uigwe have a different appearance from other royal records. We prioritize books whose original form has been preserved to showcase this external beauty, as well as unique copies, to demonstrate their distinctive value as records. Also, since more than half of the 297 Oegyujanggak Uigwe volumes concern royal weddings and funerals, we display different Uigwe on these themes each time, varying the specific topics with each rotation.

At the end of the exhibition is a “digital book” where you can browse the full content of the Uigwe. It mimics turning real pages. Since we can only display one opened page of each Uigwe in the exhibition cases, visitors miss most of what’s inside—but the digital book lets you explore the details in both Korean and English.

The Joseon Dynasty left so many records it’s called “the nation of records.” The royal court compiled both the annals and Uigwe to preserve them for posterity. One visitor wrote: “The Joseon Annals are familiar, but I didn’t know much about the Uigwe. The exhibition gave me a better sense of their importance as historical records.” As the exhibition’s curator, that kind of response from a visitor meant a lot to me.

Research on the Oegyujanggak Uigwe began after they were returned to Korea in 2011. This research is ongoing, and we plan to continue updating content such as the digital book with future research findings. We’ll be able to present more interesting and informative content based on the records within the Uigwe.

Building our collection has been our greatest focus. We conducted extensive research to develop our acquisition strategy, guided by the principle of “collecting works that played a decisive role in Korean photography history.” Specifically, we acquire materials that support the museum’s research, exhibitions, education and publications. We also seek works that can serve as the museum’s signature content. Finally, we gather pieces spanning all eras to complement the museum’s photography collection. Following this approach, we’ve assembled approximately 21,000 works and materials—including photographs, films, cameras, manuscripts, scrapbooks and more from 26 artists active from the early 1900s to the early 2000s.

It’s a large-scale exhibition featuring photographs and photo-based works by 36 masters of Korean contemporary art. The show highlights photography’s stature and reach by demonstrating how it has been a driving force in Korean contemporary art. Unlike previous exhibitions, which were limited to the second and third floors, this one uses all our exhibition spaces—signaling our commitment to presenting museum-wide shows going forward.

The second floor is a non-traditional space, while the third floor is a classic white cube. These two exhibition halls will continuously evolve according to each exhibition’s concept, so watching how the spaces transform from exhibition to exhibition makes for an interesting point of comparison. The fourth floor features an education room, darkroom, photo library and garden. Rather than ending your visit on the third floor, take time to explore these spaces and browse the materials for a richer experience. The museum’s furniture is also worth noticing. Designed to bring vitality to the achromatic spaces and let visitors experience photography from multiple angles, the pieces draw inspiration from photographic frames, apertures and other elements. I hope visitors will wander through every corner of the museum and enjoy all the spaces and programs we offer.

I’ve noticed that both the quality of what institutions offer and what audiences expect have risen significantly. This reflects how museums are evolving from places that simply present content to spaces where visitors help shape it. The Photography Seoul Museum of Art embraces this same approach—we’re focused on two-way dialogue, expanding opportunities for active participation, and continuously developing exhibitions that respond to what our visitors want to see.

While we can’t predict what challenges lie ahead, one thing is certain: we’re focused on creating opportunities for everyone who loves photography to share and explore diverse stories through the medium. With that as our foundation, we aim to stabilize our operations, build public recognition, share our content globally through exchange and collaboration projects, and establish ourselves as Korea’s leading photography museum.