Taiwan Pavilion Name Restored at 2026 Gwangju Biennale After Censorship Dispute

The full name of the Taiwan Pavilion has been restored for the 2026 Gwangju Biennale after a conflict regarding its listing as the 'NTMoFA Pavilion', which stands for the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. On Tuesday, the Gwangju Biennale Foundation reached out to Taiwan's Ministry of Culture to confirm this reinstatement following an ultimatum from the Ministry. Taiwan is now recognized as an exhibitor in the Biennale's documents and promotional materials. The issue began earlier this month when the pavilion was referred to by its institutional acronym instead of 'Taiwan Pavilion', the name used in its application. Statements from the pavilion's ten artists and curators, along with Taiwan's Ministry of Culture and a letter from twenty other contributors, labeled the change as 'political censorship' and expressed a commitment to participate under 'Taiwan Pavilion'. Organizers defended the listing as an administrative matter, explaining that NTMoFA signed the agreement as an institutional participant. The Gwangju Biennale, themed 'You Must Change Your Life' and curated by Ho Tzu Nyen, is scheduled from 5 September to 15 November.