The 16th Gwangju Biennale is scheduled to be held from 5 September to 15
November. The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts submitted a proposal under the name “Taiwan
Pavilion”, and the Gwangju Biennale Foundation included it in this edition’s expanded exhibition
section, the “Pavilion Project”; the two sides signed an agreement. However, in promotional
materials for the section released by the organiser on social media and elsewhere, the name
“Taiwan Pavilion” was shown as “NTMoFA”, the English abbreviation of the National Taiwan Museum
of Fine Arts, rather than “TAIWAN”, the English name of Taiwan. The Ministry of Culture of the
Republic of China said on 9 August that it had asked its overseas offices and the National
Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts to continue to “express a solemn protest” to the organiser. On 15
August, ten curators and artists of the “Taiwan Pavilion” issued a joint statement saying that
Taiwan-related names at the Gwangju Biennale had been unilaterally removed, and “strongly
protested”. The organiser responded that it would not intervene or engage in censorship, and
said that interpreting “differences of opinion over administrative procedures” as an act of
censorship could affect the reputations of countries and institutions participating in the
project.
South Korean arts group Artists’ Solidarity Against Censorship
issued a statement on its Instagram account on 18 August opposing the removal of
Taiwan-related names from Gwangju Biennale promotional materials, saying that the action
amounted to political censorship and calling for the name to be restored, the
decision-making process to be made public and an apology to be issued.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture said on 26 August that the Gwangju
Biennale Foundation had confirmed on 25 August that it would use the name “Taiwan Pavilion”,
including inside the exhibition venue and in official documents and publicity materials.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture also said that the Asia Culture Center, which manages the
venue, had notified the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts on 26 August that it could enter
the venue to carry out the necessary work from 27 August.
Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing travelled to Gwangju
on 27 August and expressed “regret” and “concern” to Min Hyung-bae, Mayor of Jeonnam-Gwangju
Integrated Special Metropolitan City, over the Gwangju Biennale's approval of the use of the
name “Taiwan Pavilion”. Min responded that political judgements should not affect the field
of art. Meanwhile, curatorial and installation staff of the “China Pavilion” withdrew from
the Ha Jung-woong Museum of Art, the exhibition venue for the China Pavilion, on 28 August.
