The 14th Seoul Mediacity Biennale Open Call For Artistic Director
Application deadline: 15 July, 2026
The Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) is pleased to announce an open call for the position of Artistic Director of the 14th Seoul Mediacity Biennale.
Originally launched with the exhibition SEOUL in MEDIA in 1996, the Seoul Mediacity Biennale is the only Biennale in Korea hosted by a museum and serves as SeMA’s flagship international exhibition. Over the past three decades, the Seoul Mediacity Biennale has functioned as a platform to produce contemporary art by bringing together the rapidly changing media environment and the dynamic nature of the expanding city of Seoul.
SeMA is seeking an Artistic Director with a distinctive curatorial vision to lead the Seoul Mediacity Biennale—one that critically engages with the possibilities of media and the locality of metropolitan Seoul from a future-oriented perspective, interrogates contemporary realities through artistic practice, and foregrounds the experimental and innovative dimensions of contemporary art.
We warmly welcome the interest and participation of curators from Korea and around the world.
May 2026
General Director, Seoul Museum of Art
The 14th Seoul Mediacity Biennale (SMB14)
- Exhibition period (tentative): August 16–November 14, 2027
- Exhibition venues:
- Seoul Museum of Art, Seosomun Branch
- Seo-Seoul Museum of Art (selected spaces)
- Paik Ground SeMA
- Media Art Seoul Exhibition Platform managed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government (selected spaces)
*(See SeMA’s website for information on the above venues)
*(See Seoul Metropolitan Government website for information on the Media Art Seoul Exhibition Platform
- Project budget: approximately KRW 2.5 billion (based on the 13th edition)
- Host and organizer: Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA)
Open recruitment information
- Application period: June 3–July 15, 2026
- Open position: Artistic Director (individual or team) for the 14th Seoul Mediacity Biennale
- Time commitment: Part-time (with flexibility to transition to full-time depending on the project schedule)
- Position period: through December 2027
- Compensation: approximately KRW 60 million (individual) / KRW 80 million (team)
Qualifications
- Demonstrated expertise in contemporary art and, within the past five years from the date of this announcement, experience serving as director or chief curator of an international art project on the scale of a Biennale
- Ability to contribute to the domestic and international networks of the Biennale and SeMA
- Ability to successfully realize the Biennale exhibition and oversee communications related to public relations for Seoul’s representative Biennale
- Ability to visit and stay in Seoul for a sufficient period of time
- Ability to develop and realize detailed plans that correspond with SeMA’s institutional systems and requirements
- Commitment to human rights and rejection of sexual harassment and discrimination
Major roles and responsibilities
- Establish exhibition theme, develop exhibition plan, select artists and artworks, install exhibited works, produce related texts and adhere to budget management policies for the SMB14
- Plan related programs, publications and events of the SMB14
- Coordinate all tasks related to public relations and sponsorship objectives of the SMB14
- Cooperate with Biennale team and other departments of SeMA including participation in related events
- Submit reports throughout the process of completing each task
- Fulfill additional requirements as determined by SeMA
Selection criteria
- A critical perspective on media art and contemporary art grounded in the identity of the Seoul Mediacity Biennale.
- A future-oriented model for the Biennale that reflects the history, culture, and locality of Seoul.
- A progressive and challenging curatorial vision that combines a contemporary understanding of “media” with cultural imagination and insight into contemporary society, grounded in in-depth research and investigation.
- Strategies for shaping the evolving identity of the Seoul Mediacity Biennale while proposing an exhibition plan that engages the distinct spatial characteristics of the Seoul Museum of Art.
- A curatorial proposal that distinguishes itself from other Biennales and has not previously been realized through exhibitions or programs in Korea or internationally.
- Applicants may not submit concurrent applications to other biennales or international art project open calls of a comparable scale during the period of this open call (June 3, 2026 – August 31, 2026).
Required documents and submission
- Applications accepted: June 3–July 15, 2026 (midnight KST)
- Announcement of shortlisted candidates for interviews (tentative): August 21, 2026
- Announcement of final selection (tentative): August 31, 2026
Required documents: Application Form, Cover Letter (less than 1500 words), Exhibition Proposal, Consent for Collection and Use of Personal Information - Please download the application forms on the Seoul Mediacity Biennale website or the SeMA website. Additional documents other than the required documents listed above will not be reviewed.
- Submission: Submit the completed form via email to apply@mediacityseoul.kr. Email subject line and attachment must include the applicant’s name
Evaluation process
- First-round document review: July 29–August 19, 2026
- Announcement of shortlisted candidates for interviews (tentative): August 21, 2026
- Final-round interview: August 27, 2026
*Consecutive interpretation between Korean and English will be provided.
*Interviews of candidates based overseas will be conducted online, unless candidates wish to travel to Seoul (transportation/accommodation not provided)
- Announcement of final selection (tentative): August 31, 2026
Notes
- Detailed schedules are subject to change
- Recruitment process is confidential
- Applicant is responsible for any disadvantage caused by failure to follow application guidelines or errors and/or omissions of information
- If any statements included in submitted application materials are falsified, applicants may be excluded from selection
- Applicants are prohibited from accepting appointments to similar positions of other art Biennales or events until the conclusion of the application period
- Submitted materials will not be returned
- Please direct any email inquiries to contact@mediacityseoul.kr or refer to the websites of the Seoul Mediacity Biennale and Seoul Museum of Art
