On the afternoon of April 9, 2025, I joined a group of ten refugees and their supporters at the Ground Seesaw Seochon gallery in Seoul for Happy Blooming Day: Wes Anderson Photo Exhibition—an immersive event featuring mesmerizing photographic artworks inspired by adventures around the globe. The event was organized by a local organization, The Refuge pNan, to offer refugees a moment of inspiration and connection through the lens of travel and imagination.
The exhibition presents a one-hour visual journey through places where both man-made and natural wonders have been captured by adventurous photographers. This marks the second large-scale exhibition in Korea by the travel photography community, Accidentally Wes Anderson. Featuring over 300 landscape photographs styled in Wes Anderson’s signature aesthetic, the collection spans diverse regions, including Africa, Europe, Central Asia, and North America. The exhibition offers visitors a chance to find inspiration for future adventures and dream of new journeys.
The current exhibition, titled “Accidentally Wes Anderson II: Adventure Never Ends,” showcases photos of real-life locations that evoke the unique aesthetic of filmmaker Wes Anderson. Hosted at Ground Seesaw Central in Seoul, the exhibit features over 300 photographs from a global community, divided into themes like “retrospect,” “journey,” and “inspiration,” inviting visitors to find visual inspiration for their own adventures.
“Accidentally Wes Anderson” is a book, exhibition, and Instagram community that celebrates the distinctive aesthetic of Wes Anderson’s films. It showcases real-life places and structures that capture the symmetrical, colorful, and whimsical style that defines Anderson’s cinematic world. The project started as a personal travel bucket list and evolved into a community-driven effort, inviting users to share photos of locations that share the Anderson aesthetic.
Soyee Park, who works at the Refuge pNan, an organization supporting refugees in Korea, explained the purpose behind a special event they organized.
“Today, we held an event called Happy Blooming Day, designed to support refugees’ psychological well-being and offer a moment of refreshment this spring. We invited them to a photo exhibition featuring beautiful destinations, journeys, and travel adventures. Since many of them are unable to travel due to their refugee status outside of Korea, we wanted to give them a sense of exploration and the joy of imagining their dream journeys. In that sense, this exhibition was truly inspirational.”
Speaking with Pressenza after the visit, she added, “Our organization provides a range of services for refugees in Korea, including legal assistance, shelter, livelihood support, and mental health care. We’re planning more outdoor and cultural activities to help them learn more about Korea and make their lives more engaging while they’re here.”
The Refuge pNan is a Christian NGO that protects and assists North Korean and international refugees seeking asylum in Korea and abroad.
All photos were taken by Bereket Alemayehu
