The 1st World Biennial Forum in Gwangju
The premiere of the World Biennial Forum is organized by Biennial Foundation, IFA, and Gwangju Biennale Foundation. The hosting of the first edition of the WBF reflects Gwangju Biennale Foundation’s ongoing pro-active, innovative, and discourse-stimulating role. Gwangju Biennale Foundation was founded in 1995 in memory of the 1980 civil uprising and the Gwangju Democratization Movement. TheGwangju Biennale is Asia’s oldest and most prestigious biennial of contemporary art.
The 1st World Biennial Forum offers opportunity to visit three Korean biennials:
- ROUNDTABLE: 9th Gwangju Biennale (7 September–11 November)
- GARDEN OF LEARNING: Busan Biennale 2012 (22 September–24 November)
- SPELL ON YOU: 7th Mediacity Seoul (11 September–4 November)
Co-Directors:
Co-Directors Ute Meta Bauer and Hou Hanru will jointly provide a set of topics, serving as a point of departure for the discussions.
Ute Meta Bauer is the Dean of Fine Art at the Royal College of Art. She served as the Director of the Visual Arts Program and as Founding Director of the Program in Art, Culture and Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Bauer was co-curator of documenta 11, artistic director of the 3rd Berlin Biennale (2004) and was the Founding Director of the Office for Contemporary Art Norway (OCA).
Hou Hanru is an art critic and curator. He worked at San Francisco Art Institute as Director of Exhibitions and Public Program and Chair of Exhibition and Museum Studies (2006-2012). He has curated numerous exhibitions including the Biennials of Johannesburg, Shanghai, Gwangju, Guangzhou, Tirana, Venice (French Pavilion, 1999, Chinese Pavilion, 2007), Istanbul, and Lyon. Hou is currently curating the 5th Auckland Triennial.
Preliminary Schedule:
Saturday, 27 October: Holiday Inn. Registration participants, welcoming reception. Sunday, 28 October: Kim Dae-Jung Convention Center. Keynote presentations, panel discussions. Tour of ROUNDTABLE: the 9th Gwangju Biennale Monday, 29 October: Kim Dae-Jung Convention Center. Workshops, specialized sessions. Tuesday, 30 October: Biennial Representatives Meeting. Depart for Seoul from Gwangju. Last session at the Seoul Museum of Art. Wednesday, 31 October: Tour of cultural sites in Seoul (optional).A limited number of travel grants for biennial professionals from emerging and developing countries are available, supported by thePrince Claus Fund. For criteria and to apply: oh@biennialfoundation.org.
For more information:
Gwangju Biennale Foundation
Email: Seiyoung Yoo:seiyoung.yoo@gwangjubiennale.org
Biennial Foundation
Email: Olga Hatzidaki:oh@biennialfoundation.org
Supported by the Gwangju Metropolitan City Government and by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) and Arts Network Asia (ANA) as part of the programme Creative Encounters: Cultural Partnerships between Asia and Europe.
