Why are Chinese participants withdrawing from the Gwangju Biennale over Taiwan Pavilion?

They are protesting the organizer’s permission for Taiwanese participants to use the name Taiwan Pavilion instead of their institutional name. The Chinese side says the decision violates the One China principle that Korea has committed to respect.

What did the Gwangju Biennale Foundation say after the Taiwan Pavilion dispute?

The foundation apologized for the concern, confusion and disappointment caused by the Pavilion Project for the 16th Gwangju Biennale. It said it does not intervene in or censor exhibitions, but regretted that the parties’ positions were not sufficiently reconciled.

When will the Gwangju Biennale take place and how large is this year's event?

The 16th Gwangju Biennale is scheduled for Sept. 5 to Nov. 15 in Gwangju. The event includes 16 countries and 11 institutions, and artists from 27 countries, cities and cultural institutions are participating.

ExclusiveChina to withdraw from Gwangju Biennale in protest of Taiwan Pavilion

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Summary

Chinese participants of Gwangju Biennale will withdraw in Gwangju on Thursday morning in protest over the organizer’s approval of the name Taiwan Pavilion, an Exclusive source said. The Chinese side and the Chinese Embassy in Korea said the name change violates the One China principle. Chinese Ambassador Dai Bing met officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City Mayor Min Hyung-bae to express protest and regret.

Key Facts

The Chinese participants had already stopped preparing for China Pavilion several days ago.
The Gwangju Biennale Foundation accepted the Taiwanese side’s request to use Taiwan Pavilion on Aug. 25 after earlier rejecting it several times.
The 16th Gwangju Biennale is scheduled to run in Gwangju from Sept. 5 to Nov. 15 under the theme You Must Change Your Life.
The biennale invited 16 countries and 11 institutions, and artists from 27 countries, cities and cultural institutions are participating in the event.

By Park Ji-won

Published Sep 3, 2026 8:50 am KST

An exhibition hall of the Gwangju Biennale / Courtesy of Gwangju Biennale Foundation

Chinese participants of Gwangju Biennale will announce their withdrawal from the art exhibition on Thursday morning, in protest of the organizer’s permission for Taiwanese participants to use the name of “Taiwan Pavilion” instead of their institutional name, a source familiar with the issue said.

The Chinese side, together with the Chines Embassy in Korea, has claimed the change of name goes against the “One China” principle that Korea has committed to respect.

According to the source, the Chinese participants decided to withdraw from the Gwangju Biennale and will make an official announcement in a press conference on Thursday morning, two days before the international art festival starts, unless the organizer does not reverse its decision. They already stopped preparation for “China Pavilion” several days ago.

Chinese Ambassador to Korea Dai Bing met officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City Mayor Min Hyung-bae to express protest and regret. They also expressed regret over the row but declined to intervene, noting that the event is a private sector issue led by the Gwangju Biennale Foundation, the source added.

Gwangju Biennale invited 16 countries and 11 institutions for this year’s edition, and the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA) was one of the institutions. The Taiwan participants claimed that they initially planned to use the name of Taiwan Pavilion and the organizer approved, but that the organizer later changed and started to use “NTMoFA Pavilion” instead.

The Taiwanese side then protested and requested to use Taiwan Pavilion. The organizer rejected several times but accepted the request on Aug. 25 as the issue sparked backlash from local and international artists and civic organizations criticizing organizers for "political censorship."

Then the Chinese side protested, halting preparation for the exhibition at China Pavilion. The source said this issue can grow into a serious diplomatic row between Korea and China like the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) matter which has chilled the bilateral relations for nearly a decade.

Amid the controversy, the organizer released a statement apologizing for causing concern.

“The Gwangju Biennale Foundation sincerely apologizes for the concern, confusion and disappointment caused to artists, participating institutions, audiences, and stakeholders in Korea and abroad in connection with the operation of the Pavilion Project for the 16th Gwangju Biennale … The foundation consistently upheld the principle that it does not intervene in or censor the planning, content or expression of exhibitions presented by participating institutions and artists,” it read.

“However, the foundation deeply regrets that differing positions among the parties concerned were not sufficiently reconciled at key stages of the process, allowing the matter to escalate into a public controversy.”

Launched in 1995, the Gwangju Biennale is slated to be held in Gwangju between Sept. 5 and Nov. 15 this year under the theme “You Must Change Your Life.” Artists from 27 countries, cities, and cultural institutions are participating in the event. The biennale’s pavilion project was first launched in 2018.

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