Nostalgia

‘Nostalgia’ vividly captures the tangible effects of accelerated regional depopulation, as an ever-increasing number of young people leave Gwangju for Seoul. By 2021, 43% of young residents had departed—a figure that rose to 56% in 2022 and surged to an astonishing 71% by 2023. This mass exodus has left behind neglected spaces, most poignantly represented by the abandoned bridge in the photo. Once a vital artery of a thriving community, the bridge now stands in silence, a stark reminder of the region’s decline. It evokes not only memories of its vibrant past but also questions about the future of places left behind.