Gwangju Biennale Marks 30th Anniversary with Expansive Art Exhibition

GWANGJU, Sept. 6 (Korea Bizwire) – The Gwangju Biennale, one of Asia’s premier contemporary art events, opened its 15th edition on September 6, kicking off an 86-day celebration of global artistry and cultural exchange.

This year’s biennale, themed “Pansori: Echoes for All,” marks the event’s 30th anniversary with its most ambitious program to date. The exhibition will run from September 7 to December 1, transforming the city of Gwangju into a vibrant canvas for contemporary art.

At the heart of the biennale is the main exhibition curated by Artistic Director Nicolas Bourriaud. Drawing inspiration from pansori, a traditional Korean narrative musical form, Bourriaud explores the concept of space through the lens of storytelling and sound. “Visitors will experience the exhibition as if walking through a film,” a biennale spokesperson explained.

The exhibition extends beyond the main Gwangju Biennale Hall, with artworks installed at eight locations in the historic Yangnim-dong district. This approach aims to integrate art into everyday spaces, examining the coexistence of art and daily life.

Complementing the main exhibition are 31 pavilions, a significant increase from previous years. These pavilions, representing 22 countries and nine institutions or cities, offer a diverse perspective on contemporary art issues.

This growth reflects the biennale’s increasing role as a platform for international artistic dialogue.

The opening ceremony, scheduled for 6 p.m. on September 6 at Jungwoe Park’s outdoor venue, featured a 30-minute performance titled “Pansori Madang.”

Directed by Bourriaud himself, the performance included contributions from participating artists such as Han Kang, We Mu, Loris Gréaud, Laure Mafo, Hayden Dunham, and Julian Abraham ‘Togar’.

A highlight of the performance was acclaimed author Han Kang reading her writing about Gwangju, accompanied by We Mu’s pansori interpretation of her text.

This fusion of traditional and contemporary forms exemplifies the biennale’s mission to globalize local cultural expressions while exploring new interpretations of traditional art forms.

Park Yang-woo, CEO of the Gwangju Biennale Foundation, expressed his vision for the event: “The 15th Gwangju Biennale, with its main exhibition and pavilions, will transform the entire city into a dynamic showcase of diverse and experimental arts and culture.”

He added, “As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, we hope this biennale will reaffirm our core mission and further establish Gwangju as Asia’s premier cultural city.”

 Image credit: Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com