TL;DR: Three photography exhibitions are running in Seoul this fall: Martin Parr’s documentary retrospective at the Seoul Museum of Art (free, through Oct 18), Brad Walls’ aerial ballet photography at Groundseesaw Yongsan (through March 2027), and National Geographic’s OCEAN exhibition at Chungmu Art Center (through Oct 11, ticketed). If you only have time for one, National Geographic OCEAN is the one with the nearest closing date.
Seoul runs several serious photography exhibitions at once most of the year, but three landing in the same window caught my attention enough to actually map out a plan — because they don’t all work on the same schedule. One closes in weeks, one just opened and runs for months, and one is a ticketed, multi-hour experience that needs a specific block of time. Here’s what each one is, and the order that makes sense if you’re trying to catch more than one.
1. Martin Parr: “We Are Martin Parr” — free, closes Oct 18
Where: Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) — Seoul Museum of Photography
Dates: July 16 – October 18, 2026
Hours: Tue–Fri 10:00 AM–8:00 PM, Sat/Sun/holidays 10:00 AM–7:00 PM (closes at 6:00 PM Nov–Feb)
Closed: Mondays
Admission: Free
Martin Parr is one of documentary photography’s biggest names — known for turning ordinary scenes (tourism, food, family gatherings, sport) into sharp, often funny, heavily saturated color images shot with a signature flash. This retrospective spans his full career, from early black-and-white work in the 1970s through his recent color series: 14 major bodies of work, roughly 500 photographs, and 90 photobooks. What makes it especially relevant here is a series Parr shot in Korea — both South and North — between the late 1990s and early 2000s, offering an outsider’s view of the country at that moment.
2. Brad Walls: “Passé” — aerial ballet photography, through March 2027
Where: Groundseesaw Yongsan
Dates: September 11, 2026 – March 1, 2027
Hours: 10:00 AM–7:00 PM (last entry 6:00 PM)
Closed: First Monday of each month (open on public holidays)
Extras: Live ballet performances, 4 times daily, 11:00 AM–12:50 PM
Admission: Ticketed (check Groundseesaw’s site for current pricing — early-bird pricing was only available before the exhibition opened)
Australian photographer Brad Walls started with drone photography purely out of curiosity in 2016, and it grew into a signature style: shooting dancers directly from above so their bodies form geometric patterns rather than individual portraits. His approach is deliberate — in his own words, most ballet photography focuses on one dancer’s dramatic pose, while he’s more interested in the precision and teamwork of the full ensemble. This exhibition, built around his newest series Passé, includes around 130 works plus the live performances, so it’s less a walk-through-and-done show than most photography exhibits.
3. National Geographic “OCEAN: The Biggest Story Ever Told” — closes Oct 11
Where: Chungmu Art Center Gallery
Dates: June 8 – October 11, 2026
Hours: 10:00 AM–7:00 PM (last entry 6:00 PM)
Closed: Mondays (except June 8 and Sept 28)
Admission: Adults 25,000 KRW / Youth 19,000 KRW / Children 16,000 KRW
This one leans experience over pure photography — around 200 ocean photographs and video footage from National Geographic’s archives, but each section is narrated by a different Disney/Pixar character. One section follows the ocean through Ariel’s (The Little Mermaid) point of view; another is guided by Moana. There’s also an XR whale encounter and a listening room playing real underwater recordings. If you’re traveling with kids, this is the most family-friendly of the three by a wide margin — and if you want a break from just looking at framed prints, this is the one built for that.
Planning around the deadlines
The order that makes sense isn’t really about preference — it’s about what’s actually closing soonest.
National Geographic OCEAN is the most time-pressured of the three. It closes October 11, and with the XR component and narrated sections, it realistically takes at least two hours to see properly — not something you can squeeze into a quick weekday evening stop. If you’re short on time in Seoul, this is the one to book a specific block of time for first.
Martin Parr has more breathing room — free admission and open through October 18 — but note that SeMA Photography Museum is closed on Mondays, so it’s not a walk-in-any-day plan either.
Brad Walls has the longest runway by far, running all the way through March 2027, so it’s realistically the one you can save for last, or come back for on a future trip if this one doesn’t fit your schedule.
FAQ
Q: Which of these three is free?
A: Only Martin Parr’s exhibition at SeMA is free. Brad Walls and National Geographic OCEAN are both ticketed.
Q: Can I see all three in one day?
A: It’s tight but possible if you start early — National Geographic OCEAN alone can take 2+ hours with the XR and narrated sections, so budget most of a day if you’re doing all three.
Q: Is the Brad Walls exhibition only for ballet fans?
A: No — it works as much as a photography and design exhibition as a dance one. The aerial, pattern-based compositions are the draw even if you don’t follow ballet.
Q: Is National Geographic OCEAN good for kids?
A: Yes — it’s the most kid-friendly of the three, with Disney/Pixar-narrated sections and an XR whale encounter alongside the photography.
Q: What if I’m reading this after these exhibitions have closed?
A: National Geographic OCEAN and Martin Parr will have wrapped up, but Brad Walls’ show runs through March 2027, so it may still be worth checking if your trip falls within that window.
Bottom Line
If your Seoul itinerary only has room for one exhibition, let the closing date decide: National Geographic OCEAN first if it’s still open, Martin Parr next since it’s free and flexible outside of Mondays, and Brad Walls last since it isn’t going anywhere until March.