The 4th Jeju Biennale “The Drift of Apagi: The Way of Water, Wind, and Stars” will take place from November 26, 2024, to February 16, 2025, at venues including Jeju Museum of Art, Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art, Public Storage of Artworks, Folklore & Natural History Museum Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, International Convention Center Jeju, and Jeju Art Platform.

Jeju Museum of Art Director Lee Jong Hoo, who serves as the general director, announced the exhibition theme, as well as the participating artists and programs at a press conference on July 29. The 4th Jeju Biennale will shed light on how ‘drifting’ interacts with our perceptions in the journey of civilization, and reinterpret the boundaries of encounters, collisions, and convergence from an artistic perspective at the intersection of chance and inevitability created by ‘drifting’. In addition, it examines contemporary issues such as civilization, environment, migration, and refugees, and talks about new alternative communities.

This year’s Jeju Biennale will feature 39 artists (teams) from 14 countries, including KOH Gil-cheon, BOO Jihyun, Hyungseob Shin, Kura Yang, Han Seung Ku, Pangrok Sulap, Huiying Ore, Wan Othman, Wuttin Chansataboot, lololol, and Tooraj Khamenehzadeh. Among them, 17 are Korean artists and 22 are international artists. The exhibition will consist of works in a variety of genres and media, including painting, installation, photography, video, and performance, and will showcase a wide range of forms, from research-based archival works to high-tech new media art (metaverse, AI, projection mapping) and community art.

The events, in conjunction with the biennale, will include performances, academic programs, experiential programs such as exhibition-related workshops, and artist talks. In August, the exhibition-related workshop will bring together local environmental organizations working on marine debris issues in Jeju, artists, and interested residents to showcase the process and results of a community project that connects the exhibition theme, ‘Drifting,’ to environmental issues

“Through the exhibition’s theme, ‘Drifting,’ we want to examine how Jeju’s identity is intertwined with the international context and the changing flow of civilization,” said Lee Jong Hoo, director of the biennale. ”We will strive to make the biennale a biennale that resonates with everyone by touching on everyday life, rather than the difficult language of art criticism.”

References

• 제주도립미술관 보도자료 (Jeju Museum of Art Press Release)