Korean biennials align with gimjang season, exploring history and identity through art

Three major Korean biennials coincide with the autumn gimjang season, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage practice since 2013. The Gwangju Biennale runs from September 2 to November 11, 2016, commemorating victims of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising with artistic director Maria Lind. SeMA Media City in Seoul operates from September 1 to November 20, 2016, while the Busan Biennale spans September 3 to November 30, 2016. These events share themes of history, identity, memory, and humanity's relationship with nature, mirroring gimjang's communal values. Gimjang represents the annual kimchi-making tradition that strengthens family bonds and sustains communities through winter. Han Kang's 2014 book Human Acts, translated by Deborah Smith in 2016, uses kimchi in a scene depicting prisoner dehumanization during Chun Doo-hwan's military regime. The Gwangju Biennale, established in 1995, was Korea's first international art event of its kind. ArtReview Asia published an exclusive online article on August 25, 2016, discussing these connections.