36th Ina Nobuo Award （2011）

Colonel Qaddafi — who had reigned over Libya, North Africa for 42 years — eventually became a dictator pointing guns at his own citizens who were demanding democracy. In February 2011, random fire towards a crowd of demonstrators resulted in over 200 deaths.
On May 18, 1980, there had been a similar pro-democracy conflict in South Korea. Demonstrations against the authoritarian rule of the Chun Doo-hwan administration and in favor of a democratic government took place nationwide. In the city of Gwangju where one of the stronger demonstrations took place, military forces even fired into a crowd of demonstrators.
At that time, the photographer was not only a photographer, but also a warrior who had to obey orders and point a gun at citizens.
The Chun Doo-hwan administration enforced barbaric orders to fire which brought 190 deaths and over 900 wounded. Mangwoldong cemetery is where the victims are buried. He has been taking photographs professionally since 1984.
A soldier who had to obey one-sided, absolute orders and a young man who demanded democracy in his homeland; an irrational reason made him stand on both sides, triggering physical death for victims and spiritual death for himself.
He wanted to release himself from that difficult, painful time and all the rancor. As time passed along with the disruption, his breathless screaming for Mangwoldong became forgiveness and harmonization with those dark times for both victims and himself.
The photographer — one of those who has sins for Mangwoldong — appeals the pain of life, feeling remorse through his works. 　　
Monochrome works　

The 36th Ina Nobuo Award is awarded to “Gwangju, Mangwoldong” taken by Korean photographer Yi Sangil who has been facing scenes of the Gwangju massacre for a long time.
The Gwangju massacre was an incident that brought many deaths and victims due to a conflict between the Korean military and citizens and students who were seeking democratization from a government under military dictatorship in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province in May 1980. The photographer was there. Moreover, he was there as a special-forces soldier who pointed both a gun and a camera, for collecting information, at citizens.
When he left the military a few years later, he went to university to study photography, that he had been forced to do during his time in the military. Then he visited Gwangju again. Since then, he has asked himself about and faced what happened at Gwangju for over 20 years. The accumulated tension of time that his photographs show us is emotional, and also overwhelming.
Over the years, he has visited Mangwoldong cemetery several times and visited victims’ houses to see their portraits. He describes himself at those times as not a recorder who witnessed turbulent times, nor displaying the instinctive catharsis of an artist, but rather, he said that he wanted to pay for the resentment and bitterness of killing people and his own soul just because he was in both the position of a young man who wanted democratization for his country, while also being a soldier who had to follow orders absolutely.
Recognition goes to his works, also to his life as a photographer, who has continued to shoot Gwangju and Mangwoldong without escaping the rigors of historical reality.

Born in Gyeongnam, Sancheong-gun, South Korea in 1956.
Photographer.
Graduated Kyungil University, photo and film department, photography major in 1992.
Graduated Chuo University, graduated school, photography department master program in 1995.
Graduated Pusan, graduated university, artistic culture film department, doctor of art in 2007.
Instructor at Daegu Art University, photos and films department from 1997 to 2000.
Full-time instructor at Kudara Art University, photo department from 2000 to 2003.
Professor at Kyungil University, photo and film department (2003-2007).
Currently, a director at Koin Photo Museum

Exhibitions (Solo)
1987: “Ningen Tankyu” (Daegu, South Korea/ Daegu Modern Art Museum)
1990: “Mother”(Daegu, South Korea/Gyeongnam Deabak Gallery/Nanbom Art Museum)
1992: “Onsan Kodan” (Daegu, South Korea/Toa Art Museum)
1993: “Mangwoldong” (Daegu, South Korea/Gyeongnam, Toa Art Museum)
“Mother! The Name” (Daegu, South Korea/Sojin Gallery)
1994: “Legacy Received from Light” (Seoul, Korea/Semuto Gallery)
1995: “Mother!” (Daegu, South Korea, Seoul Toa Art Museum/Nun Gallery)
1998: “Human Beings and the Environment” (Ota, Korea/Ota city hall)
2000: “Yi Sangil’s Mangwoldong” (South Korea statewide/All north art hall)
2002: “Mementomory” (Seoul, Korea/HOW ART Gallery)
2003, 2004: ”Mirror of Memory (series of a war)” (Pusan, Korea/Eiko Gallery)
2005: “Do” (Ulsan, South Korea/Ulsan city, north part city hall)
2009: “Invitation with Classic ? Mangwoldong” (Seoul, Korea/M Gallery)
“Toe International Photography Festival, Photography Award exhibition” (Korea Gangwon, Yeongwol-gun Student Auditorium)
“Koin Photo Museum, Special Invitation Exhibition” (Pusan, South Korea, Koin Photo Museum)
and more.
　
Books:
1994: ”Legacy Received from Light” (Dodu)
“Bright Room Vol.5” (Yorfadan)
1995: “Mother” (Photo book/Mind Sea)
2000: “Yi Sangil’s Mangwoldong” (Gyeongnam Biennale Foundation)
2002: “Memento Mori” (Sam Kyon)
“Life and Vessel of Sin KyonGun” (Design Factory)
2003: “Picture Book Exhibition” (Purnsesan)
2008: “People Who Make a Living with Art” (Nunpi)
2009: “Yi Sangil Photo Book” (Toe International Photo Festival Committee”
and more.