Culture and Solidarity Team of the May 18 Memorial Foundation is holding an exhibition at the 518 gallery from October 7 – 31, 2008. The exhibition is different like the usual, because the photographers are the citizens who were educated by the Foundation.
Every year the Foundation opens an opportunity for Gwangju citizens who have interest in photography and the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising. The program is ‘The May Citizen Documentary Photographer Academy’.
The program started last year in 2007. Last March, 2008 there were around 50 citizens who applied for the program. The Foundation chose 30 mostly senior citizens and married. Twice a week they have education session at the video room of the Foundation that run for 6 months.
On August, 2008 the education finished. Each of them were given a task to take photos and its corresponding information. There are 26 pictures being exhibited at the 518 gallery. The theme is everything in society, like human rights, democracy, peace, daily life, etc. The pictures are many kinds: candle light demonstration, farming activities, situation at the market, women activities, etc.
The aim of this program is to keep the spirit, struggle, and bravery of the professional photographers who took pictures during the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising. In that time, it was a difficult for them to take pictures, but they could made memories with their pictures that people can see and learn until now. They made the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising refer to as post history of Gwangju in other cities and countries.
Even if the theme is general but every person must have a goal for their pictures. How they could convey the message and it can change opinion or life of other people who see them. How the pictures could change the society being good societies. It was not an easy work for them as general people (citizens).
On the opening ceremony, October 7 at 5 PM, the Chairman of the May 18 Memorial Foundation, Mr. Yun Kwang Jang, gave a graduation certificate to Mr. Choi Jeong Hwan as a representative of the class/students. He was the leader of the class/students. During the education, the students choose him as their leader. Other students also got the graduation certificate as a reward of their work to keep the spirit and struggle of the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising.
On his speech, as a representative of the class/students, Mr. Choi Jeong Hwan said thank you for the May 18 Memorial Foundation, their teacher include Mr. Park Cheung as a coordinator of this program.
The education of the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising is not only from the class, but they can also learn it with developing a hobby like photography.
Congratulations to all the students…
No comments:
Post a Comment