Busan Biennale 2026 Announces Venues and First Artists for 'Dissident Chorus'

The Busan Biennale Organizing Committee has announced the venues and first group of participating artists for the 2026 edition, titled 'Dissident Chorus', running from August 29 to November 1, 2026. Co-artistic directors Evelyn Simons and Amal Khalaf lead the biennale, which explores sound as a metaphor for resistance and collective memory. The exhibition will take place across three venues: Busan Museum of Contemporary Art, Former Busan Nam High School, and Space OneZ on Yeongdo island. The first artist lineup includes Julien Creuzet (France), Dew Kim (South Korea), Jota Mombaça (Brazil), Nkisi (Congolese-Belgian), and Tai Shani (United Kingdom). Creuzet, who represented France at the 2024 Venice Biennale, will create a site-specific commission engaging with Busan's maritime history. Mombaça develops an auditory environment with underwater acoustics in collaboration with music producer Anti Ribeiro. Nkisi examines colonial dynamics through phonograph archives. Tai Shani, joint winner of the 2019 Turner Prize, presents a layered installation blending myth and feminist aesthetics. The curatorial theme draws on Judith Butler's concept of 'bodies in alliance', emphasizing political agency through collective presence.