The Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation has launched an immersive exhibition titled “Cameron and the Darkroom: The Beginning of 19th-Century Portrait Photography” at the Gyeonggi Sangsang Campus. Running from December 11 to January 23, the exhibition explores the evolution of 19th-century portrait photography, focusing on daguerreotypes, the works of British photographer Julia Margaret Cameron, and AI-enhanced media displays.

The exhibition offers a unique window into the early days of photography, when long exposure times required subjects to remain still for several seconds, resulting in uniformly stoic expressions. Modern AI technology is used to reimagine these historical portraits, bringing them to life with subtle movements and smiles, offering a fresh perspective on the personalities of the past.

Julia Margaret Cameron, who began her photography career at the age of 48 in 1863, is renowned for her intimate portraits of family and friends, as well as luminaries such as Charles Darwin and Alfred Tennyson. The exhibition also highlights Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration behind Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Visitors can experience animated interpretations of these figures, revealing their imagined smiles and expressions.

Cameron’s portraits, often styled like characters from fairy tales or mythology, were initially criticized for their soft focus. However, her artistic approach gained recognition posthumously, largely through a published collection of her works championed by her great-niece, Virginia Woolf. Today, Cameron is celebrated as a pioneer who infused photography with emotional depth and artistic vision.

In addition to Cameron’s photographs, the exhibition explores the camera obscura, a device used by artists for realistic rendering before the advent of photography. A 3D-printed model of the camera obscura demonstrates its principles, allowing visitors to better understand the technological foundation of 19th-century photography and its cultural impact.

Artistic Director Park Min Kyung, who curated the exhibition, emphasized Cameron’s perseverance in mastering the demanding darkroom processes of her time. “Cameron was an artist who, despite starting late in life, captured her subjects with remarkable sensitivity and originality. Today, photography is so accessible that its deeper value is often overlooked. This exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the meaningfulness of portrait photography, much as people in the 19th century cherished images of their loved ones.”

The exhibition blends historical insight with modern innovation, bridging the gap between the origins of portrait photography and contemporary digital media. Through interactive installations and AI-enhanced reinterpretations of classic portraits, “Cameron and the Darkroom” offers a thought-provoking exploration of the artistic and emotional power of photography.

 

Sayart / Nao Yim, yimnao@naver.com