04. 2010_이상재_물방울 르네상스ⓒ Lee Sangjae

05. 2010_이지연_중보기도자ⓒ Lee Jiyeon

06. 2010_임민영_자라나는 시ⓒ Im minyung

Open Hope of All University Students That Dream in Photography 2010 Mirae Award

■ Awardees
Lee Sangjae (Senior, Kyungil University, School of Photography & Video)
Lee Jiyeon (Senior, Hongik University, Major in Visual Communication Design)
Im minyung (Senior, Chung-Ang University, Department of Photography)

■ jury
Koo Bohnchang (Photographer)
Kim Oksun (Photographer)
Lee Hong Eun (Curator, The Museum of Photography, Seoul)
Park Youngmi (Curator, Geonhi Art Foundation)

■ Competition
- Submission Period : June 21 – June 26, 2010
- Eligibility : All University (College) Students in Korea
- Total number of entries : 116
- Award
Canon EOS 5D Mark ll, EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Systematic and Professional Tutoring from Photographers and Curator
Exhibition and Publication

■ Ceremony
Date : July 28, 2010
Place : Canon Korea Consumer Imaging Conference Room
Prize : Canon EOS 5D Mark ll, EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

■ Tutoring by Professional Photographers
Tutoring Period : July – December, 2010
Master Tutor : Koo Bohnchang (Photographer)
Tutor : Kim Oksun (Photographer)
Park Youngmi (Curator, Geonhi Art Foundation)
Kyungwoo Chun (Artist)
Choi Sunghun + Park Sunmin (Artist)

■ Commentary
1. Park Youngmi / Curator, Geonhi Art Foundation
Geonhi Art Foundation’s “2010 MIRAE AWARD” had the entries of 116 university students across the nation. Launched in 2007 as “Canon Scholarship Explored by Geonhi Art Foundation”, this program was fourth of its kind this year and was held under the new title of “MIRAE AWARD” in order to support the cultural expansion of photo art that is being diversified and prepare our future with a younger generation.
The members on the jury include Koo Bohnchang (Photographer), Kim Oksun (Photographer), Lee Hong Eun (Curator, The Museum of Photography, Seoul), and Park Youngmi (Curator, Geonhi Art Foundation) and the criteria to select the winner are artistic originality, understanding of photography as media, technical elaboration, and scalability of the work in the future. Each member on the jury made their own evaluation in the 1st round of judge and the scores were summed up to move on to the 2nd round of judge, where all of the members on the jury had in-depth discussions. In particular, it is notable that young artists showed their prudent attitude towards art and photography and earnest introspection into society and culture in this year’s contest. The jury members gave careful consideration to the selection of the winner and finally came up with three awardees.
In his work (Waterdrop Renaissance), Lee Sangjae raises doubts about the way we perceive objects and express flat art. The author’s statement on perspective that has been passed onto today’s photos from the Renaissance era is based on the understanding of a characteristic of light. His works looking over classic paintings got a high score because they give another opportunity to think about photography, art, and cognitive process in two dimensions and three dimensions.
Lee Jiyeon’s (The Prayer) approaches a religion through a photo. The history of relationship between art and religion has been so long that we cannot trace back to the time when the relationship began. Sometimes, art and religion maintained a dominant-subordinate relationship and other times they were closed to each other. The two spiritual domains are placed a bit far away from modern society. The earnest images of the prayers praying for others and the background encircling them show an aspect of society we live in today and also capture decisive moments that can only be found in the intimate relationship between the photographer and objects.
Im Minyung illustrates small changes on a daily basis in her work (Growing Poetry). Her work seeks personal values through photos, an extension of eyes, and demonstrates sensitive clashes that break out between people. Her works are outstanding in terms of observation of objects and the composition of a picture and got a high score because they provide an opportunity to think about the meaning of changes for us living in a modern society, looking ahead only in search of a big value.
The awardees will receive personal tutoring that is appropriate for the extension of their work. This tutoring will help them review their work and consider the possibility of new changes. And their works will be presented in an exhibition and a collection of work. We hope that ‘MIRAE AWARD ‘s program will offer each and every one of the MIRAE awardees the opportunity for earnest contemplation and reflection. Also we would like to extend our appreciation and encouragement to all of the applicants that have shown their fresh ideas and passion.

2. Kim Oksun / Photographer
The works of MIRAE Awardees have an unpolished surface and dynamic inner side and no doubt, they reveal the potential of the awardees. As university students, the awardees have relatively short careers in photography but their contemplation over work and solid outputs have proved that they have a bright future. The jury members, who are established photographers, were taken aback by photographers’ feelings that sometimes look immature and their sense of humor displayed in primary color.
In (Growing Poetry) that captures a growing object in a daily life, Im Minyung has shown deep sensitivity as a photographer when observing and reproducing an object. Lee Sangjae’s (Waterdrop Renaissance) reconstructs a Renaissance painting from the perspective of cubism through a waterdrop. The (Waterdrop Renaissance) was interpreted as an art work that shows various attempts of the photographer and expresses a thought about the nature of photograph as media. Lee Jiyeon’s (The prayer) illustrates the process of discovering and healing the inner side of oneself through the image of prayers and the power of photograph.
We would like to congratulate the three awardees. Also we hope that other photographers who entered the MIRAE AWARD competition will continue to hold the rope of photography until the day when their serious work note and hard work that is based on the work note come into full and splendid bloom through experience over time.

3. Lee Hong Eun / Curator, The Museum of Photography, Seoul
In the 2010 MIRAE AWARD competition, the applicants that are currently studying photography did not hide but express as a young photographer their professionalism that is sometimes cute and exceeds that of established photographers in a colorful way.
Lee Sangjae’s (Waterdrop Renaissance) shows a logical and rational approach in dealing with images, compared to a relatively sensitive approach of the other two awardees. We can assume that he never allowed himself to be complacent when planning, preparing, and taking a shot, which enhanced the density of his work. In Lee Jiyeon’s (The prayer _ When every prayer is answered), we can feel the close communion between the photographer and the subject and the earnestness of the photographer and the subject through the medium of prayer. However, we would like to advise Ms. Lee Jiyeon to think about how to handle texts because the specific text limits the freedom to appreciate the image and to imagine because it is laid out next to the text. Im Minyung’s (Growing Poetry) has a very close look at small changes that can always be found in a daily life but might be missed out by most of the people. The delicate sense is one of her greatest strengths but we would recommend that she take a more in-depth approach to the necessity and purpose of her work.
Oftentimes, when we think more, our hands lag behind the thought and when our hands take one step further, our thinking is stopped. We hope that not only the awardees but also all of the applicants in the MIRAE AWARD will find themselves fiercely agonizing as photographers through the co-existence of continuously moving hands and thoughts.



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