Eunma Town

In the 1970s, as people from all over South Korea moved to Seoul, the 28 buildings of the newly erected Eunma Town apartment complex welcomed many families with dreams of a better life. Less than 50 years later, South Korea is one of the richest countries in the world after an unprecedented economic miracle. Despite its decrepit walls, Eunma Town is still in the top 10 of the most expensive places to live in South Korea due to its sheer location, in the epicenter of South Korea’s thriving private education industry. Eunma Town is a symbol of hope, where dreams of tomorrow triggered by today’s economic power mix with dreams of yesteryear still lingering in its deteriorating walls.

Paradise City is a personal search through both the contemporary and ancient landscapes of Iran to locate an elusive, dreamlike version of paradise. Sébastien Cuvelier’s journeys to Iran were inspired by a manuscript written on his late uncle’s journey to Persepolis 50 years ago. The sheer concept of paradise is inherently Iranian. The word paradise comes from old Persian paridaida – meaning walled garden. It is therefore only natural that this word resonates in all corners of a country where history is full of nostalgia, people are deeply romantic and flowers are everywhere. The country’s young and connected population has had to constantly adjust its way of living since the 1979 revolution, in order to circumvent the limitations imposed by the Government. They seek paradise, but are unsure where to look. Sébastien Cuvelier attempted to reflect this pursuit of paradise through metaphorical, fleeting and illusive images – each appearing like a piece of an intangible jigsaw combining what once was or could be, with the present. Paradise City shows glimpses of contemporary Iran through the eyes of the people he met – at times romanticised, nostalgic or even utopian.