China Orders Artists Out Of Gwangju Biennale Over“Taiwan Pavilion”

(MENAFN- USA Art News) China has instructed its participating artists to withdraw from the 16th Gwangju Biennale, which is scheduled to open on September 5. The decision, according to South Korean media, follows the Gwangju Biennial Foundation's allowance for Taiwanese exhibitors to participate under the name“Taiwan.”

Ambassador Dai Bing, China's envoy to South Korea, conveyed his“regret and concern” regarding the decision during a meeting with Gwangju Mayor Min Hyung-bae at Gwangju City Hall. The Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) reported that this move reinstates the“Taiwan Pavilion” name at the request of Taiwan's Ministry of Culture. Representing the Chinese Embassy, Dai subsequently demanded that Chinese curators and installation staff cease preparations and depart from the Hajeongung Art Museum in Gwangju, the planned venue for their special exhibition. MBC also noted that during their discussion, Mayor Min told Dai that“political considerations should not affect the field of art.”

For over a year, the Gwangju Biennale Foundation has been involved in a diplomatic dispute with Taiwan concerning the renaming of a satellite exhibition. It was changed from the“Taiwan Pavilion” to the“NTMoFA Pavilion,” referencing its commissioning body, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. Both sides disagreed on the circumstances of this name alteration, with Taiwan's Ministry of Culture ultimately accusing the GBF of“political censorship” in an August 15 statement. The GBF denied claims of acting without Taiwan's consent to appease Beijing, which does not recognize the self-governed island's sovereignty. The dispute quickly escalated into a reputational crisis for the biennale, as artists from both Taiwan and China condemned the name change, calling it a betrayal of the biennale's founding principles. The biennale was established in 1994 to honor the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, a violent period in South Korea's fight against military rule, during which an estimated 2,300 South Korean civilians were killed.

On Tuesday, the GBF announced that Taiwan's exhibition at the September edition could proceed as the“Taiwan Pavilion” and be promoted as such in its materials. In a statement to the South Korean press, the Gwangju Biennale said,“There is not much time left until the opening on September 5, and we are closely monitoring the situation, hoping the exhibition will proceed smoothly.”

We previously reported:

Thirty-six artists and curators demand the Gwangju Biennale reinstate the“Taiwan Pavilion” name and allow access after claims of censorship.

Taiwanese artists are accusing South Korea's Gwangju Biennale of political censorship following the removal of their country's name from promotional materials.

Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen will direct the 16th Gwangju Biennale, opening September 5, focusing on transforming historical trauma into sustained artistic

Source: ARTnews

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