Restoration of 'Taiwan Pavilion' Name... Exhibition Resumes but Aftermath Continues at Gwangju Biennale

Taiwanese Side Begins Exhibition Preparations After Over a Week's Delay;
Artwork Installation to Start on the 28th

Min Hyungbae Publicly Criticizes Foundation:
"A Deep Embarrassment for Gwangju... Accountability Will Be Pursued"

Chinese Ambassador to Korea Also Voices Regret and Concern;
Local Art Community Calls for Apology and Preventive Measures

Soon after 7 a.m. on the 27th, a cargo truck entered the National Asian Culture Center (ACC). The vehicle carried equipment for setting up the 16th Gwangju Biennale 'Taiwan Pavilion' exhibition. Due to conflicts over the label 'Taiwan,' preparations for the exhibition had been delayed for more than a week, and only resumed nine days before the opening. The Deputy Director of the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA) and the exhibition curator visited the site as well, expressing their gratitude to the Gwangju art community for allowing them to participate in the Gwangju Biennale under the name 'Taiwan.' Installation of the artworks is expected to begin in earnest on the 28th.

Panoramic view of the Gwangju Biennale exhibition hall. Gwangju Biennale

While the immediate crisis of exhibition disruption has been resolved, the controversy remains. Not only have questions arisen around the Gwangju Biennale Foundation’s decision-making process, but on the 27th, Chinese Ambassador to Korea Xing Haiming also expressed regret and concern about the use of the 'Taiwan Pavilion' designation, turning the issue from an art world dispute into a diplomatic one.

The debate began with what to call the pavilion. The Taiwan Ministry of Culture and participating artists claimed that the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts submitted their proposal and negotiated with the foundation from the planning stage under the name 'Taiwan Pavilion.' However, the foundation reportedly changed the designation on official promotional materials to 'NTMoFA Pavilion' starting in June. On the 15th, ten curators and artists from the Taiwanese delegation issued a joint statement criticizing this as 'political censorship.'

The foundation offered a different explanation. According to the foundation, this year’s pavilion projects categorized participants into nations and institutions; since the contract was with the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts on January 12, it was considered an 'institution pavilion' and labeled by the institution’s name. This year’s pavilions feature 16 national and 11 institutional pavilions. The foundation stated that it did not interfere in the exhibition content, selection of works, or the expression of the artists and curators, and asserted that the naming issue was an administrative and contractual disagreement related to the type of participation and the wording in official promotional materials.

In response, the Taiwan Ministry of Culture disputed the foundation’s explanation, claiming it was not consistent with the facts. The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, they argued, participated from the beginning as Taiwan’s representative and used the 'Taiwan Pavilion' name throughout the proposal and negotiation phases. Foreign art news outlet 'The Art Newspaper' also reported that the two sides gave different accounts about the January agreement and whether the naming had been settled.

The conflict led to an actual disruption of the exhibition. Artworks from the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts arrived in Korea around the 18th, but could not be installed in ACC’s Culture Creation Center, Multipurpose Exhibition Hall 5. Because the controversy had become international, the ACC’s position was that the foundation and the Taiwanese side needed to first agree on the name of the pavilion to ensure smooth use of the space. On the 25th, the Taiwan Ministry of Culture strongly protested, stating that the foundation and ACC were blocking the planned exhibition setup, and demanded by the 26th that the show be allowed to proceed under the 'Taiwan Pavilion' name.

Ultimately, on the 25th, the foundation accepted the Taiwanese side’s demands. After the Taiwan Ministry of Culture sent an official document confirming that the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts would represent Taiwan at the Gwangju Biennale and use the name 'Taiwan Pavilion,' the foundation approved the use of the name and requested that the ACC allow the exhibition to proceed. The foundation referred to this as 'approval of the name change,' and the Taiwan Ministry of Culture welcomed the restoration of the name the following day.

Although the name was restored, accountability became a major issue locally. Min Hyungbae, Mayor of Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Metropolitan City and also Chairman of the Gwangju Biennale Foundation, harshly criticized the incident at an executive meeting on the 26th, calling it 'deeply embarrassing for Gwangju.' He emphasized that political or administrative power should not intervene in the arts, and, addressing damage to Gwangju's image, stated, 'I will hold those responsible accountable later.' As the foundation chair publicly stated his intent to call the foundation’s handling of the matter to account, the process and rationale behind the naming decision and internal decision-making procedures have emerged as subsequent points of contention.

Yun Beommo, President of the Gwangju Biennale Foundation, described the origin of the dispute as an administrative classification issue. In a KBC interview on the 26th, he said that since the agreement was made with the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts at the institutional level, working-level staff likely considered it institutional participation. He also remarked that distinguishing between national and institutional pavilions is not particularly significant. Yun added that resolving the issue was complicated by the need to consider both international and diplomatic implications.

Promotional material for the 16th Gwangju Biennale 'Taiwan Pavilion' (left) and the participant list on the official pavilion website. After controversy over the name, the foundation approved the use of 'Taiwan Pavilion,' and the website also displays it as 'Taiwan.' Taiwan Ministry of Culture

Local art circles also continued their criticism. Groups including the Gwangju Association of National Artists, Horanggasi Tree Art Studio, May Museum of Art, and the Gwangju Women's Film Festival welcomed the restoration of the 'Taiwan Pavilion' name but called for an official apology from the foundation, transparency in the decision-making process, and measures to prevent recurrence. They particularly objected to the foundation’s announcement using the term 'approval of name usage' instead of 'name restoration.' Their argument is that a biennale should not be in a position to grant or deny what participants call themselves.

There was also strong opposition from both domestic and international participating artists. Following statements from Taiwanese curators and artists, 36 artists and curators participating in the Gwangju Biennale issued a public letter titled 'You Must Change Your Name,' a play on the exhibition's title 'You Must Change Your Life,' urging the restoration of the original name. The global art community also paid close attention, identifying the incident as an example of the clash between the political sensitivity surrounding Taiwan’s international status and the autonomy of arts organizations.

Shortly after the naming controversy was settled, China responded as well. On the 27th, Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming, during a visit with Mayor Min at the Gwangju Government Office, reportedly conveyed regret and concern regarding the foundation’s acceptance of the Taiwanese demand to use the 'Taiwan Pavilion' designation. Mayor Min responded that political considerations should not influence the arts.

China has consistently reacted sensitively to any use of names that might recognize Taiwan as a state in international forums, in line with its 'One China' policy that regards Taiwan as part of its territory. In contrast, Taiwan emphasizes the use of 'Taiwan' at international cultural and sporting events as a matter of identity and representation. Overseas media covering the controversy noted that the Gwangju Biennale found itself at the heart of the sensitive political landscape of cross-strait relations, extending well beyond an ordinary exhibition administration issue.

With only nine days left until the opening, the Taiwan Pavilion is once again undergoing exhibition preparations. However, the naming dispute has not been fully settled simply by restoring the exhibition. Questions remain regarding which principles and procedures will govern the handling of politically and diplomatically sensitive issues at international events, as well as responsibility and challenges related to the process that led to this decision.

The 16th Gwangju Biennale, led by Singaporean artist and curator Ho Tzu Nyen as artistic director, will be held for 72 days from September 5 to November 15 under the theme 'You Must Change Your Life.' Borrowing its title from the closing line of Rainer Maria Rilke’s poem 'Archaic Torso of Apollo,' the exhibition explores the potential for transformation through artistic practice.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.