Chinese Artists Withdraw from Gwangju Biennale Over Taiwan Pavilion Naming Dispute

Chinese artists and curators have withdrawn from the 16th Gwangju Biennale after a dispute over the naming of a Taiwanese exhibition space. The controversy began when the Gwangju Biennale Foundation initially agreed to use the name Taiwan Pavilion for a show by the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA), then changed it to the NTMoFA Pavilion. Following protests from Taiwan's culture ministry and claims of censorship, the foundation reversed its decision and restored the name Taiwan Pavilion. This move prompted a formal expression of regret from Chinese Ambassador Dai Bing and led the China Pavilion participants to halt installation and pull out of the event.

During a press conference on Friday, Gwangju Biennale Foundation chief executive Youn Bum-mo expressed regret and disappointment over the withdrawal. Youn explained that the pavilion was intended to be an institutional one rather than a national one, noting that the agreement was a memorandum signed between institutions. He stated that the foundation hoped to avoid a diplomatic issue but ended up in an uncomfortable situation with China. Youn pledged to overhaul the pavilion system to prevent future confusion between national and institutional participants.

Artistic Director Ho Tzu Nyen emphasized a distinction between the main exhibition and the pavilion project, urging a focus on art over politics. South Korea's Foreign Ministry stated that the naming decision was made independently within the private sector and does not reflect the government's official position on Taiwan. The dispute has had wider repercussions, including the withdrawal of a Chinese city from an expo in Yeosu and the cancellation of a visit from a delegation from Guangzhou.