Busan Biennale 2026 'Dissident Chorus' to Feature 70% New Commissions
The Busan Biennale 2026, titled 'Dissident Chorus', will run from 29 August to 1 November in Busan, South Korea. Co-artistic directors Amal Khalaf and Evelyn Simons, in an interview with ArtReview's Mark Rappolt, discussed the biennale's themes of dissidence, polyphony, and sound. The exhibition will feature around 70% new commissions, with a focus on sound practices, durational works, and performances. Venues include MoCA Busan on Eulsukdo Island, an abandoned high school on Yeongdo Island, and Space OneZ. The curators emphasized site-responsiveness, with artists responding to Busan's history of migration, the Korean War refugee experience, and local protest culture. Notable artists include Ultra-red, Minouk Lim, Eunji Cho, Heaven Baek, Tai Shani, and Dew Kim. Collaborations include Output Busan, a club closing after the biennial, and Radio Revolution, a community radio station. The curators also highlighted the 50th anniversary of the ban on protest songs and the legacy of Kim Jin-Suk's 2011 crane protest. The biennale aims to create a platform for diverse voices and challenge traditional exhibition formats.
Key facts
- Busan Biennale 2026 titled 'Dissident Chorus' runs 29 August to 1 November.
- Co-artistic directors: Amal Khalaf and Evelyn Simons.
- 70% of works are new commissions.
- Venues: MoCA Busan, Former Busan Nam High School, Space OneZ.
- Focus on sound, durational pieces, and performances.
- Collaborations with Output Busan and Radio Revolution.
- Minouk Lim will reprise 'S.O.S. – Adoptive Dissensus' (2009).
- 2026 marks 50th anniversary of protest song ban in Korea.
Entities
Artists
- Amal Khalaf
- Evelyn Simons
- Mark Rappolt
- Ultra-red
- Minouk Lim
- Eunji Cho
- Heaven Baek
- Tai Shani
- Dew Kim
- Kim Young-Goo
- Kim Jin-Suk
- Hyeyoung Cho
- 5D
- Sammy Lee
- Mark Lowe
- Sarah Shin
- Aliaskar Abarkas
- Alison Nguyen
- Bhenji Ra
- Brahim Tall
- Drexciya
- Gerald Donald
- Éric Baudelaire
- Fatima Kaleem Khan
- Guely Morató Loredo
- Hyunsung Park
- Jantsankhorol Erdenebayar
- Joar Songcuya
- Joon Yoo
- Joshua Serafin
- Jota Mombaça
- Julian Abraham “Togar”
- Julien Creuzet
- Kamala Ibrahim Ishag
- Lala Rukh
- Lara Ögel
- Lee Dong-Keun
- Luiz Roque
- Mira Mann
- Moe Satt
- Natasha Tontey
- Nkisi
- R.I.P. Germain
- Shuang Li
- Sojung Jun
- Suki Seokyeong Kang
- Sungeun Kim
- Sungsil Ryu
- Tanat Teeradakorn
- The House of Korean Protest Songs
- Tianzhuo Chen
- Tom Hallet
- Umi Ishihara
- Ursula K. Le Guin
- Yazan Khalili
- Zahra Malkani
- Tant Teeradakorn
- Lara Ogel
- Anti Ribeiro
- Judith Butler
Institutions
- Busan Biennale
- MoCA Busan
- Space OneZ
- Former Busan Nam High School
- Output Busan
- Radio Revolution
- House of Korean Protest Songs
- ArtReview
- Korea Arts Management Service
- Fotomuseum Antwerp
- Sharjah Biennale 16
- Ghost 2568: Wish We Were Here
- Busan Museum of Contemporary Art
- Canvas
- FRAC des Pays de la Loire
- Turner Contemporary
- Kunsthal Mechelen
- Architectural Association
- Scuola Piccola Zattere
- Mendes Wood DM
- Leeum Museum of Art
- Pivô
- Busan Biennale Organizing Committee
- Biennial Foundation
- Turner Prize
Locations
- Busan
- South Korea
- Yeongdo Island
- Eulsukdo Island
- Seoul
- Han River
- Brussels
- Bangkok
- Antwerp
- Carquefou
- France
- Mechelen
- Belgium
- London
- Venice
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- Paris
- New York
- Gadeokdo Island
- Yeongdo island
- United Kingdom
- Venice Biennale