The hot topic this year is the 30th anniversary of the Gwangju Biennale. To commemorate this, we will take a look at its achievements, divided into two parts. In Part 1, we will briefly review the history and accomplishments of the Gwangju Biennale, and in Part 2, we will examine the challenges it faces and its future prospects.
 
Since its establishment in 1995, the Gwangju Biennale has firmly established itself as an essential art festival, raising the international status of Korean contemporary art.
 
This year, celebrating its 30th anniversary, the 15th Gwangju Biennale is being curated under the theme Pansori: Resonance for All. It is directed by French curator Nicolas Bourriaud. The biennale aims to reinterpret the traditional Korean art of pansori within the context of contemporary art, focusing on sound and space to artistically address various contemporary social issues.
 
In this article, we will provide a special overview of the accomplishments and challenges that the Gwangju Biennale has encountered over the past 30 years.
 
We will also discuss what is needed for Korean biennales to further expand internationally and how they can continue to develop. Specifically, we will focus on what is required for Korean biennales to firmly establish themselves as world-class events.

30-Year Brief History of the Gwangju Biennale

The Gwangju Biennale has garnered global attention by combining social messages with artistic experimentation, rooted in the historical context of the Gwangju Democratic Uprising of May 18, 1980. The biennale plays a critical role in transforming the spirit of Korea’s democratization movement into a cultural value that is shared with the international art scene.

The 1st Gwangju Biennale (1995) – Lim Young-bang: ‘Beyond the Borders’

The first Gwangju Biennale in 1995, directed by Lim Young-bang, was held under the theme Beyond the Borders. Its message focused on forming a community that transcends national, ethnic, ideological, and religious boundaries. Unfortunately, the Gwangju Biennale website contains limited and inadequate records of early exhibitions and events, which is regrettable.

In the first biennale, 50 countries and 92 artists participated, with Kcho from Cuba receiving the top prize for the work Forgetting to Remember. According to the Gwangju Biennale’s website, domestic curators such as art critic and former director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Oh Kwang-su, and prominent art historian Yoo Hong-jun were part of the curatorial team, along with renowned international curators such as Kathy Halbreich (former MoMA deputy director), Anda Rottenberg, Jean de Loisy, and Clive Adams. Unfortunately, further detailed exhibition records are missing, which we ask readers to understand.
 
Lim Young-bang (1929–2015) was a distinguished scholar in Western art history, who significantly contributed to the development and internationalization of modern Korean art. He studied philosophy and art history at the University of Paris, and received a PhD for his research on public murals. Lim taught at Seoul National University and produced many students.

He served as the inaugural chairman of the Gwangju Biennale (1995) and played a crucial role in establishing the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. His major publications include works on the Renaissance, medieval art iconography, and Baroque art.
 
Lim received the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1996 and the Silver Crown Order of Cultural Merit from Korea in 2006 for his contributions to the art world.

The 7th Gwangju Biennale (2008) – Okwui Enwezor: ‘Annual Report’

Okwui Enwezor explored the role of art in recording and reflecting political and social issues in modern society under the theme 'Annual Report.' He addressed social issues and demonstrated how art can communicate with the real world.

Okwui Enwezor (1963–2019) was a Nigerian-born curator who played a pivotal role in bringing non-Western art to the global stage, curating significant exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale (2015) and Documenta in Kassel (2002). He served as the director of the Haus der Kunst in Munich from 2011 to 2018.

The 8th Gwangju Biennale (2010) – Massimiliano Gioni: ‘Maninbo’

Massimiliano Gioni curated the 8th Gwangju Biennale under the theme Maninbo, focusing on individual lives and experiences.
 
Maninbo (translated as Ten Thousand Lives) is a monumental literary project by renowned Korean poet Ko Un, consisting of thirty volumes. The series was inspired by Ko Un's experiences during the Korean War and his time in prison, where he vowed to write about the lives of ordinary people he had encountered. Each volume contains numerous poems, each dedicated to a different individual, often reflecting the hardships, emotions, and struggles of common people.
 
The title Maninbo represents the notion of documenting the stories of "ten thousand" people, though the number is symbolic, referring to the vastness of human experiences rather than a literal count. Through this, he successfully connected and reinterpreted Korean themes within an international context. The exhibition was considered an important attempt to explore personal narratives and global issues through art.

Massimiliano Gioni is currently the Artistic Director of the New Museum in New York and also serves as the Director of the Nicola Trussardi Foundation in Milan, Italy.
 
He was the Artistic Director of the 2013 Venice Biennale and, alongside Maurizio Cattelan, co-founded The Wrong Gallery. The gallery, known for its satirical and provocative exhibitions, became an iconic independent art space in New York. The two also expanded their influence in the international art world by jointly running independent art publications such as The Wrong Times and Charley.

The 10th Gwangju Biennale (2014) – Jessica Morgan: 'Burning Down the House'

Jessica Morgan curated the 10th Gwangju Biennale under the theme Burning Down the House, where she explored themes of destruction and creation by challenging existing systems and conventions.

More than 90% of the works presented at the Gwangju Biennale were new creations, making this an innovative exhibition aimed at resisting existing societal structures and exploring new artistic possibilities.
 
Jessica Morgan has been the director of the Dia Art Foundation in New York since 2015, contributing significantly to revitalizing major art projects and collections at the foundation. Prior to that, she worked as a curator at Tate Modern in London from 2002 to 2014, serving as the international art curator from 2010 and playing a key role in expanding Tate’s global collection.

The 11th Gwangju Biennale (2016) – Maria Lind: 'The Eighth Climate'

The 2016 Gwangju Biennale, under the theme The Eighth Climate, explored the intersection of climate change and art.

Maria Lind, born in Sweden in 1966, is a globally recognized curator, critic, and educator who has held various influential positions in contemporary art institutions.

Lind was the director of Tensta Konsthall in Stockholm from 2011 to 2018, and she served as the artistic director of the Gwangju Biennale in 2016. She also worked as the cultural attaché at the Swedish Embassy in Moscow from 2020 to 2023. Currently, she is the director of the Norrbotten Museum of Contemporary Art in Sweden and teaches at various institutions such as the Oslo Art Academy.

The 14th Gwangju Biennale (2023) – Sook-Kyung Lee: 'Soft and Weak Like Water'

The theme of the 14th Gwangju Biennale, Soft and Weak Like Water, is derived from the Tao Te Ching Chapter 78, which states, “Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water, yet nothing can better overcome the hard and strong.” The biennale uses the metaphor of water as a source of transformation and recovery, imagining the earth as a place of resistance, coexistence, solidarity, and care.

Sook-Kyung Lee, the artistic director of the 14th edition, explained that the theme focuses on water’s ability to penetrate deeply into both individuals and collectives, offering direction and alternative solutions to the complex realities we face. She added that by viewing global issues through the concept of "entanglement," the biennale examines the pressing challenges impacting both the earth and humanity, with a focus on art as a response.
 
Lee began her career as a curator at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Korea before moving to the UK, where she gained recognition as the Senior Curator of International Art at Tate Modern in London. Since August 2023, she has served as the director of the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester. Before this, from 2019, she led the Tate Research Centre: Transnational, spearheading a research project exploring new perspectives on global art history.

The 15th Gwangju Biennale (2024) – Nicolas Bourriaud: 'Pansori: Resonance for All'

The theme of the 2024 Gwangju Biennale, Pansori: Resonance for All, reinterprets the traditional Korean art of pansori through a contemporary lens, addressing contemporary issues such as social distancing, separation, and conflict, using the concepts of “space” and “sound” as metaphors.

Nicolas Bourriaud successfully attempts to bridge the gap between tradition and modernity, as well as between Korea and the global sphere, through his contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional Korean art of pansori.
 
Nicolas Bourriaud, born in France in 1965, is a curator and theorist who has played a significant role in contemporary art. He is best known for co-founding and serving as the co-director of the Palais de Tokyo in Paris from 1999 to 2006, where he developed new exhibition formats for contemporary art.
 
Bourriaud is also known for his concept of Relational Aesthetics, which has had a profound impact on modern art discourse since the 1990s. This theory emphasizes the formation of art through the interaction between the artwork and its audience, focusing on art as a form of social interaction.

Bourriaud has held positions such as Gulbenkian Contemporary Art Curator at Tate Britain, and in 2009, he curated the Tate Triennial under the theme Altermodern. Additionally, from 2011 to 2015, he was the director of the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts (ENSBA) in Paris, contributing to art education during his tenure.
 
Currently, Nicolas Bourriaud is the director of MoCo (Montpellier Contemporain), which oversees La Panacée, the Montpellier School of Fine Arts, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. He has curated various international biennales and exhibitions, and in 2014, he served as the artistic director of the Taipei Biennial.

Achievements of the Gwangju Biennale

Over the past 30 years, the Gwangju Biennale has played a crucial role in advancing and internationalizing contemporary Korean art. Each edition has featured prominent curators from both Korea and abroad, exploring social, political, and cultural issues through various forms of contemporary art such as installations, performances, and video art. The biennale has become a platform for showcasing diverse trends in contemporary art while pursuing artistic innovation.
 
One of the Gwangju Biennale’s key achievements is its success in conveying socially relevant messages with a distinctly Korean identity, which has helped propel Korean artists onto the global stage. By merging traditional Korean elements with modern societal issues, the Gwangju Biennale has garnered attention from the international art community. In 2014, the online art platform Artnet ranked the Gwangju Biennale among the Top 5 Biennales in the World, alongside prestigious events such as the Venice Biennale, Documenta in Kassel, the Whitney Biennial in New York, and Manifesta in Europe.
 
However, many biennales around the world, including the Gwangju Biennale, are increasingly criticized for repeating similar formats and lacking innovation. As a result, the influence and impact of these events have somewhat diminished compared to earlier years.
 

In particular, various biennales held in Korea have faced challenges in connecting with the public. These events often focus too heavily on niche artistic discourse, making it difficult for wider audiences to engage. This is not just an issue for the Gwangju Biennale but for biennales around the world.

The Need for Change

Now is the time for Korean biennales to reconsider their fundamental structure and seek new directions. Rather than resting on past successes, the Gwangju Biennale must evolve to meet the changing social and cultural needs of contemporary society. One way to do this is by fostering deeper engagement with local communities, making the biennale more than just an art exhibition and creating a space where residents can actively participate. Art should not exist solely within the confines of the art world but should connect with a wide range of audiences and integrate with their everyday lives.
 

(To be continued in Part 2)

Jay Jongho Kim graduated from the Department of Art Theory at Hongik University and earned his master's degree in Art Planning from the same university. From 1996 to 2006, he worked as a curator at Gallery Seomi, planning director at CAIS Gallery, head of the curatorial research team at Art Center Nabi, director at Gallery Hyundai, and curator at Gana New York. From 2008 to 2017, he served as the executive director of Doosan Gallery Seoul & New York and Doosan Residency New York, introducing Korean contemporary artists to the local scene in New York. After returning to Korea in 2017, he worked as an art consultant, conducting art education, collection consulting, and various art projects. In 2021, he founded A Project Company and is currently running the platforms K-ARTNOW.COM and K-ARTIST.COM, which aim to promote Korean contemporary art on the global stage.