Gwangju Biennale Restores Taiwan Pavilion Name as China Withdraws

The Gwangju Biennale has restored the name Taiwan Pavilion, but the decision immediately triggered China’s withdrawal from the exhibition. The Chinese exhibition team announced its protest at a news conference in Gwangju, turning a dispute over a label into a confrontation over how far politics should reach into the arts.

The controversy began when the biennale changed Taiwan Pavilion to the English name of Taiwan’s National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, or NTMoFA. The move drew attention from South Korea’s art community, where many local artists spoke out in support of Taiwan. After efforts by several sides, the biennale decided to restore the original name.

Gwangju Mayor Kang Ki-jung had argued that political and administrative forces should not interfere in the arts. On Aug. 26, he said such intervention could distort culture and art and damage Gwangju’s image, adding that those responsible would be held accountable.

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Political and administrative forces should not interfere in the arts.

China intensified its objections after the name was restored. Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing visited the mayor in Gwangju on Aug. 27 to express Beijing’s dissatisfaction. Artists from the Chinese pavilion began withdrawing the following day. The pavilion’s curator, Ruan Yuelai, said the team valued the biennale and had invested substantial effort, but believed the organizers had used an incorrect name and allowed political factors to enter the arts.

The Chinese team held its three-minute news conference at the Ha Jung-woo Museum in Gwangju without taking questions. The Chinese Embassy called on South Korea to take action to “avoid causing a serious negative impact on China-South Korea relations.” Gwangju later said it respected the one-China policy in line with the government’s diplomatic policy, while maintaining that the Taiwan Pavilion name represented a choice made by participating artists within the artistic field. The biennale is scheduled to open on the 5th.

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Avoid causing a serious negative impact on China-South Korea relations.