Crossed Looks between Literature and Photography: Han Kang and Cha Mihye

Abstract

Photography has been, form the mid nineteenth century to the present, a technological revolution providing numerous considerations through literature in western civilization. But what could be said about that relationship between photography and literature in an eastern civilization, especially in South Korea? We will take a closer look at a writer, Han Kang, and visual artist, Cha Mihye, who among many explore memory and history, from the traditional era to modernity. Their distinct works forge a vital reminiscence to explore a fast mutating country by decoding some major milestones. Works of Han Kang and Cha Mihye had once been juxtaposed in an editorial and exhibition project combination, offering a way to show the particular relationship between writing and Image-Making for a better understanding of some cultural issues for Korea. Linking a tumultuous past to a rushing present time, their sensitive and intimate experiences enlighten the complex and fragile but necessary recollection of a torn nation.