Gwangju Biennale cancels $100,000 Park Seo-Bo Art Prize following protests over artist's political silence

The Gwangju Biennale Foundation has terminated its $100,000 Art Prize funded by Korean artist Park Seo-Bo, despite having announced its inaugural recipient Oum Jeongsoon just last month. Protesters objected to Park's historical silence during South Korea's democratic struggles, noting his association with the 1960s Dansaekhwa movement focused on monochromatic abstraction rather than political engagement. The biennial was established in 1995 to honor the democratic spirit of the suppressed 1980 Gwangju Uprising. Demonstrators gained significant support after distributing leaflets urging organizers to instead create awards named after politically engaged figures like Oh Yoon, a key Minjung art movement participant, or pioneering video artist Nam June Paik. In response, the foundation stated it initially launched the prize to align with Park's intention of supporting emerging artists. Following the cancellation, the organization plans to consult various communities to develop a more progressive award system. The protests emerged before the scheduled award ceremony and intensified afterward.