Taiwan vs South Korean art biennale: inside the fierce political row over pavilion name
Gwangju Biennale’s refusal to name the Taiwanese art showcase the ‘Taiwan Pavilion’ has sparked accusations of political censorship
A fierce row has erupted between Taiwan and South Korea’s Gwangju Biennale, Asia’s oldest contemporary art biennial, after the self-ruled island complained that its art showcase at this year’s event, which opens on September 5, is not being promoted as the “Taiwan Pavilion”.
Instead, it is being promoted as the “NTMoFA Pavilion” – based on the participation of the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts – sparking accusations of political censorship.
The clash underscores the political nature of international art exhibitions and raises critical questions about how organisers can navigate realpolitik amid rising geopolitical tension.
On August 19, the Gwangju Biennale Foundation issued a statement denying any political censorship. It characterised the dispute as an “administrative difference concerning participant classification and naming conventions” that “does not concern the content of an exhibition or freedom of expression”.
“Accordingly, NTMoFA’s participation in the 16th Gwangju Biennale was planned from the outset as an institutional pavilion,” it wrote.