ExclusiveChina to withdraw from Gwangju Biennale in protest of Taiwan Pavilion

Chinese participants of the 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 “Taiwan Pavilion” instead of their institutional name, a source familiar with the issue said.

The Chinese side, together with the Chinese Embassy in Korea, argues 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 at a press conference on Thursday morning — two days before the international art festival starts — unless the organizer reverses its decision. They already stopped preparations for the China Pavilion several days ago.

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

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

The Taiwanese side protested and requested it be permitted to use the name Taiwan Pavilion instead. The organizer rejected the request several times but later relented on Aug. 25, as the issue sparked backlash from local and international artists and civic organizations that criticized the organizers for "political censorship."

After learning of the change, the Chinese side protested, halting its preparations for the China Pavilion. The source said the issue could potentially grow into a serious diplomatic row between Korea and China, similar to the fallout over the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system, which chilled bilateral relations for nearly a decade.

Amid the controversy, the organizers of the Gwangju Biennale released a statement apologizing.

“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,” the statement reads.

“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.