Gwangju’s May Art Festival reflects on democracy as a living organism

Kim Byeong-taek’s "The World We Meet Again" is on display at Eunam Museum of Art in Gwangju, May 14. Courtesy of Jack Greenberg

GWANGJU — As Korea marks the 45th anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising, a city once silenced by tanks and tear gas is again alive with color, sound and critical reflection. From May 8 to 29, the annual May Art Festival transforms Gwangju into a living archive of resistance and inspiration. It invites visitors to rethink democracy not simply as a historical achievement but as a fragile, ongoing struggle.

This year’s festival, themed “Biodemocracy: Democracy as a Living Thing,” arrives amid deep political turbulence. Since President Yoon Suk Yeol's Dec. 3 martial law declaration, the country has seen months of mass protests. A looming presidential election has further intensified the atmosphere. In this context, the festival becomes more than a cultural event. It is a timely intervention in national conversations about power, justice and collective memory.

The concept of biodemocracy — democracy as something organic, vulnerable and alive — frames the festival’s approach. Confronting global authoritarian trends, the climate crisis and deepening economic precarity, many artworks argue that democracy must be nourished like a living body through attention, protest, care and community.

One of the curators, Shin Yong-cheol, captured the theme’s impact by stating, “When I first heard ‘biodemocracy,’ I knew it would make people rethink everything they thought they knew about democracy.”

Chief director Kim Sin-yun-ju added that the festival asks how art can not only reflect but also build democracy. It explores how art envisions, critiques and embodies democratic values while catalyzing new forms of collective imagination and action.

Kim Hwa-sun’s "The Voices that Stand Up" (2025) is on display at Mudeung Gallery, May 14. Courtesy of Jack Greenberg

Since its founding in 1988, the May Art Festival has been central to Gwangju’s commitment to socially engaged art. Commemorating the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, when citizens rose against military rule and were met with deadly force, the festival serves as a barometer of Korea’s socio-political pulse. This year, artists express that legacy with renewed urgency.

“At this historic turning point, we are once again called to reflect on the meaning of democracy,” Kim said. “Even aside from the current moment, it is clear that now is the time to reconsider what democracy truly means. Every country claims to be a democracy, and on the surface, that seems like a worthy ideal. But under the overwhelming pressure of economic growth, values we each hold dear — freedom, equality, happiness — are often sacrificed. As we face the growing threat of climate catastrophe, shouldn’t we think more deeply about how to speak of and pursue democracy, not just for ourselves, but for future generations?”

Two key sub-exhibits anchor this year’s festival. At the Eunam Art Museum, Declaration of Bio Democracy connects the 1980 uprising to today’s democratic struggles. Referencing the Dec. 3 protests, it showcases works by 21 artists who seek to reconstruct democracy amid contemporary crises. Meanwhile, Liberating Bodies at Mudeung Gallery marks the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japan and features 12 artists who explore resistance, from colonial rule to present-day struggles for life and freedom.

Kim Gyeong-hwa’s "The People’s Taeguk" (2025) is on display at Gwangju's Mudeung Gallery, May 14. Courtesy of Jack Greenberg

Running concurrently with the festival, the exhibition "Resonance – The Present Connected with Memory" at the Gwangju Public Art Museum extends the conversation into sound and memory. This exhibit highlights how music, like visual art, can express collective resilience and democratic yearning. By blending archival materials with contemporary media, it shows how songs have not only accompanied but also fueled protest movements across generations.

The exhibit includes five sound and media works and a rich archival section that repositions 1980s “people’s songs” within a broader musical landscape. It traces parallels with more recent protest music and challenges rigid boundaries between minjung music, pop, labor and traditional forms. Featured artists include Joung Tae-choon, whose four-decade career reshaped Korean folk music, and Kim Min-ki, whose politically charged songs were censored in the 1970s. The exhibition also documents the transnational journey of "March for the Beloved," now a protest anthem across South and East Asia.

Other highlights include the presentation of Saebyeok, Korea’s first song movement group, with a reconstructed version of its musical Affiliated School, once thought lost. The archival section also features Nochatsa ("People Finding Songs"), founded by Kim Min-ki. The group played a pivotal role in democratization by bringing music to the streets, workplaces and campuses.

Political critique as art form

At the festival’s reflective core is its assertion that the past is never truly past. Across venues, artworks draw links between current resistance, especially the recent impeachment protests against Yoon, and historical trauma. These include the Donghak Peasant Movement, the Jeju 4.3 Uprising, independence from Japanese colonialism, the experiences of wartime sex slaves and the Sewol ferry tragedy. Many works explicitly connect these struggles to the 1980 uprising, underscoring how the spirit of resistance continues to shape Korea’s pursuit of justice and democracy.

From May 10 to 30, "From Square to Square – Creating a Constellation of Democracy," organized by the Gwangju People’s Art Association, turns May 18 Democracy Square into a forum for public reflection. Through satirical and socially critical works, it invites everyday passersby to engage with today’s political realities.

Kim U-seong's "From Dusk to Dawn" is on display in Gwangju's 5.18 Square, May 14. Courtesy of Jack Greenberg

Meanwhile, the "Revolution of Light Banner Exhibition" (May 2 to 30), also by Gwangju People’s Art Association, lines the path to the National May 18 Democracy Cemetery with artworks by 40 artists from across the country. Installed along the approach to the graves of uprising victims, the banners encourage contemplation on Gwangju, known as the "City of Light," and evolving forms of candlelight protest.

These artistic critiques reflect a broader civil society reckoning. Throughout the winter, city squares were filled with protesters, including students, labor activists and veterans of past movements. They braved the cold with lightsticks, foil blankets and handmade placards. Their presence has become a powerful motif throughout the festival and symbolizes a living tradition of resistance.

Several works underscore the vital role of rural communities and marginalized communities in Korea’s ongoing democratic struggle. This dynamic was powerfully illustrated during recent protests at Namtaeryeong, where farmers rallied around urgent issues such as rice imports, the Basic Farmers Law and agricultural reform — matters central to both their livelihoods and national food security. When police blocked tractors from entering the city, solidarity quickly grew. Young urban women and minorities joined the movement, echoing the Spirit of Great Unity (Daedong) that defined Gwangju’s resistance.

Yu Gyeong-ae's "The Hottest Kisses in the World" is on display in a banner at Gwangju's 5.18 Cemetery, May 15. Courtesy of Jack Greenberg

These themes were further explored during the May Arts Forum on May 16 at the Gwangju Museum of Art, where artists, scholars and activists examined how creative practices can foster “living democracy” and extend artistic action into public spaces.

Kim Seo-ra, an aesthetics researcher specializing in Gwangju modernism and one of the forum’s speakers, emphasized the importance of having such discussions: “We often learn the language of democracy through institutions, in legal terms or outdated forms. We're taught that democracy is open and expansive, yet we also recognize it is something that can — and must — be continually revised.”

Gwangju as a living symbol

As the festival reached its peak on May 18, Gwangju hosted memorials, musical and theatrical performances and intergenerational dialogues. These events blur the lines between commemoration, activism and art. For many, the May Art Festival is more than a gesture of remembrance. It is an act of renewal, a way to reconnect with Gwangju’s democratic spirit in a political present that can feel increasingly adrift.

Jack Greenberg works as a consultant, researcher and freelance writer. His current focus is on heritage and conservation issues, historical memory debates, truth-seeking and reconciliation and civilian massacres of the 1950-53 Korean War. He was the recipient of the Global Korea Scholarship and earned a master's in international studies at Korea University. He is also an alum of McGill University.