The 2022 Pulitzer Prize Photo Exhibition, where you can see the world's modern and contemporary history with your eyes and heart, will be held at the exhibition room of the Busan Cultural Center until May 15th. The photo exhibition in Busan is being held for the first time in eight years. In this exhibition, you can appreciate 140 award-winning works from 1942 to 2021. In addition, it will introduce the story behind the picture and a plentiful amount of displays. 

Joseph Pulitzer established the Pulitzer Prize in 1917, donating two million dollars to Columbia University. Winners were selected from 20 categories, including 15 media sectors, every April. In Korea, four Pulitzer exhibitions have been held since 1998. Also, it is now the best photo exhibition for Korean people, attracting 600,000 viewers.

The exhibition begins by introducing the founder of the Pulitzer Prize. Many different Works are displayed from the 1940s to the 2020s, allowing us to travel through modern and contemporary historical moments together. In addition, impressive titles such as "A photo that can never be forgotten" and "Contain pure moments of childhood" are given, touching the hearts of the viewers.

In particular, the interview video of Max Desfor, a former Photographer of Associated Press, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his photos of the Korean War, arouses national sympathy. Photographer Desfor said, "Koreans only remember the beginning of the war. But the war is not finished after all."

Another reason why this exhibition is special is that you can meet the first Korean winner of the Pulitzer Prize, "Blocked by Barrier" in the photography category. The mother in the picture, Maria Meza, urgently hugs her two daughters wearing diapers between huge border barriers. It appears to be from a caravan of Latin Americans who dreamed of moving to the United States, avoiding tear gas fired by border guards. The photo resonated powerfully in the United States and was also used whenever criticism arose over President Donald Trump's policy to ban entrance.

Kim Kyung-Hoon, the award-winning Reporter of Reuters, cited showing a different reality from the images of caravans that President Trump talked about as the reason for the repercussions. Reporter Kim said, "President Trump said the caravans are tough gangs. However, the photo showed women and children who had gone a long way to giving their children a brighter future." in CBS radio "Kim Hyun-Jeong's News Show" in April 2019. 

The main work of the Busan exhibition promotion poster, "Invigorate," is also worth taking a close look at. A firefighter carrying a baby from a flame-stricken apartment is doing CPR. On the second birthday of its life, the baby died at the end. This resulted in the expansion of fire prevention programs. The winner Ron Olshwanger said, "I took a picture because I had nothing to do to help at the scene of the fire." But his picture made more significant institutional improvements.

By Im Ha-Eun, Reporter

Translated by Shin Ji-Won, Reporter