Hosted by the Korean Cultural Center in Austria and curated by Museum Hanmi, the exhibition Mega Seoul 8 Decades will be held at the Korean Cultural Center in Austria, located in Vienna, the heart of Austria’s cultural and artistic scene. This exhibition is part of the cultural exhibition project hosted by the Korean Cultural Center in Austria to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Korea’s Liberation and the establishment of the Second Republic of Austria. Based on the exhibition of the same name first curated by Museum Hanmi in 2012, it has been expanded to reflect the significance of these historical milestones, providing local audiences with a new perspective on Seoul's evolution and identity.

This exhibition explores various aspects of Seoul, where tradition and modernity coexist, through the perspectives of 12 senior, mid-career, and emerging photographers. From Seoul’s turbulent history in the 1950s, following Korea’s liberation, to the 1960s, when the city became the focal point of rapid development as people sang Hymn of Seoul, and finally to the present day, where it has grown into a global megacity—this work captures the coexistence and clashes of diverse urban tendencies through the distinct perspectives of each generation.

The artists known for their unique work, capture the pains of modernization and the wrinkles of modern history etched into this international metropolis of over ten million people. Though immersed in Seoul’s countless transformations and conflicts, these artists respond to the contradictions of urban space with sharp critique, irony, or at times, detached composure. Their photographic journey is an arduous endeavor to unveil the hidden layers of Hymn of Seoul and expose the raw essence of the city. Armed with varied emotional and intellectual photographic expressions, their works serve as vivid records of the traces that allow us to remember and understand Seoul as it celebrates the 80th anniversary of Korea's Liberation. Through this exhibition, visitors will have the opportunity to reflect on the rapid and extensive loss of old Seoul, confront the contradictions within the Hymn of Seoul, and witness both the vibrant energy and the inherent contradictions of the city itself.