The Photobook as Shape Shifter in the Expanded Realm of Contemporary Photography: Examples from South Korea

“Photobook as Shape Shifter in the Expanded Realm of Contemporary Photography: Examples from South Korea,” examines the Korean photobook scene amid the vortex of digital transition. The chapter begins by closely examining the innovative changes in photography driven by the accelerated growth of digital technology since the 2000s. It delves deeper into the photographic oscillations and its expanded practices in the contemporary art scene in South Korea. Through specific examples of three artists of different ages, the chapter discusses how they perceive the changing nature of photography and either amplify or offset certain aspects in their works, particularly through the medium of photobooks. They enthusiastically embrace or express disapproval toward the mobility, fragmentation, and flexibility that photographs have gained in the digital age. The photobook serves as the clearest embodiment of an artist’s vision. Therefore, the struggles and reactions to the tumultuous situation are often explicitly reflected in their creations. By presenting the case studies, this chapter aims to define the contemporary photobook as a compilation of attitudes and actions toward the medium of today, intuitively shifting the form and content, rather than merely a showcase of artworks.