Swiss Pavilion to open in celebration of Gwangju Biennale
The Swiss Pavilion will showcase artwork and visual installation of Swiss choreographer and dancer Anna Anderegg in celebration of the 13th Gwangju Biennale. Courtesy of Embassy of Switzerland in Korea
By Yi Whan-woo
The Swiss Pavilion, a space dedicated to presenting the European country's art, will make its first appearance on the occasion of the 13th Gwangju Biennale, according to the Embassy of Switzerland in Korea.
Co-organized by Kunsthaus Pasquart and Eunam Museum of Art, contemporary art museums in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, and Gwangju, respectively, the pavilion will showcase performative art and a visual installation created by Swiss choreographer and dancer Anna Anderegg along with a team of Swiss and Korean artists.
Such works, collectively named “Alone Together,” are supported by the embassy as part of its efforts to promote Swiss art performance, visual arts, architecture and urban planning throughout 2021 under a campaign titled, “Pushing the Limits 2.0 ― Celebrating Swiss Excellence and Innovation in Korea.”
The Swiss Pavilion will showcase the art and visual installation of Swiss choreographer and dancer Anna Anderegg in celebration of the 13th Gwangju Biennale. Courtesy of Embassy of Switzerland in Korea
The Gwangju Biennale, Asia's largest contemporary art festival, will begin on April 1. It will last until May 9.
Held every two years, the biennale was initially planned for September 2020 but was postponed to this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The “Alone Together” program will take place entirely at the Eunam Museum of Art.
A five-hour live performance will be held once every day from Feb. 16 to March 3.
Closely linked to the choreography, film and video footage by Korean filmmaker Swan Park of the performance will be screened until May 9.
“It brings great satisfaction and pride to see that the Swiss embassy was instrumental in facilitating the presence of the first Swiss Pavilion at the Gwangju Biennale, and that finally, despite postponements due to COVID-19, such an exceptional performance as Anna Anderegg's Alone Together can be seen by the public,” Swiss Ambassador to Korea Linus von Castelmur said.
He said the embassy worked closely with Anderegg as well as representatives from the Gwanju Biennale, Kunsthaus Pasquart and the Eunam Museum of Art “in order to bring this project to fruition.”
“The Swiss Pavilion will offer a platform to widen the network of contemporary artists between Switzerland and Korea in the international art scene and I look forward to seeing many dynamic interactions be generated by Alone Together in the pavilion,” he added.
Kunsthaus Pasquart Director Felicity Lunn said it is “a great honor to participate in the Gwangju Biennale.”
The director said she has been following Anderegg's “exciting, innovative and internationally respected practice” and thought of the artist after learning about the Swiss Pavilion for the Gwangju Biennale.
Anderegg has previously showcased her solo works and other joint projects several times in Korea.
They are “Tape Riot” choreography in Seoul in 2017 and “Designed by Another Architect” filmed in 2019 in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province.