2018 Gwangju Biennale Confronts Refugee Crises and Historical Trauma
The Gwangju Biennale of 2018, which will continue until November 11 in Gwangju, South Korea, focuses on modern refugee issues and the significance of historical memory. With the involvement of 11 curators across seven distinct sections, the event showcases 165 artists hailing from 43 different nations. Highlights include Tanya Goel's 'Vanishing Sites,' depicting demolished homes in New Delhi, Agnieszka Kalinowska's film 'Draughty House' featuring displaced individuals in Vienna, and Tiffany Chung's fabric maps illustrating Vietnamese refugee paths from 1975 to 1996. Kader Attia's 'Shifting Borders' presents interviews with trauma survivors. Curated by David Teh, the 'Returns' section contemplates the biennale's past, including Kang Yeongyun's funeral streamers commemorating victims of the May 18, 1980 Gwangju Uprising. Teh emphasized the event's ties to the uprising's legacy.
Key facts
- The 2018 Gwangju Biennale runs through November 11 in Gwangju, South Korea
- The exhibition features 165 artists from 43 countries across seven sections
- Eleven curators organized works at the main biennale hall and Asia Culture Center
- The biennale was established 23 years earlier to commemorate the May 18, 1980 Gwangju Uprising
- Tiffany Chung presents works documenting Vietnamese refugee routes from 1975-1996
- Kader Attia's commission includes interviews with shamans and trauma victims across Asia
- Kang Yeongyun's funeral streamers were originally installed at the 1995 Anti-Biennale protest
- David Teh curated the 'Returns' section incorporating material from the first 1995 edition
Entities
Artists
- Tanya Goel
- Agnieszka Kalinowska
- Tiffany Chung
- Kader Attia
- Kang Yeongyun
- Clara Kim
- Gridthiya Gaweewong
- David Teh
- Man seok Kim
- Sung woo Kim
- Chong-Ok Paek
- Park Chung-hee
Institutions
- Gwangju Biennale
- Asia Culture Center
- Global Inner Peace
- ArtReview Asia
- Anti-Biennale
Locations
- Gwangju
- South Korea
- Jeju Island
- New Delhi
- India
- Vienna
- Austria
- Mangwol-Dong Cemetery
- Armed Forces Hospital