China Withdraws Artists from Gwangju

China has ordered its artists and curators to withdraw from the 16th Gwangju Biennale. The move, reported by South Korean media, is a protest against the event's decision to allow Taiwanese exhibitors to participate under the name 'Taiwan Pavilion'. The biennale opens on September 5.

Chinese Ambassador to South Korea, Dai Bing, delivered the order. He met with Gwangju Mayor Min Hyung-bae at Gwangju City Hall. According to Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), Dai expressed his "regret and concern" over the restoration of the 'Taiwan Pavilion' name. The ambassador then demanded Chinese curators and installation staff halt their work and leave the Hajeongung Art Museum.

Mayor Min reportedly told Ambassador Dai that "political considerations should not affect the field of art." The Gwangju Biennale Foundation has been locked in a dispute over the name for more than a year.

The Name Dispute Escalates

The conflict centers on a satellite exhibition originally called the 'Taiwan Pavilion'. Last year, the Gwangju Biennale Foundation renamed it the 'NTMoFA Pavilion', referencing the commissioning institution, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. The two parties disagreed over the circumstances of this change.

On August 15, Taiwan's Ministry of Culture accused the GBF of "political censorship". The foundation denied allegations that it acted without Taiwan's consent to appease Beijing. China does not recognize Taiwan's sovereignty. The dispute caused a reputational crisis, with artists from both Taiwan and China condemning the name change as a betrayal of the biennale's ideals.

The Biennale's Reversal

This week, the Gwangju Biennale Foundation reversed its position. On Tuesday, it announced that Taiwan's exhibition at the September edition could open as the 'Taiwan Pavilion'. The name will also appear in promotional materials.

In a statement to the South Korean press, the foundation said, "There is not much time left until the opening on September 5, and we are closely monitoring the situation, hoping the exhibition will proceed smoothly." The biennale was established in 1994 to commemorate the 1980 Gwangju Uprising. An estimated 2,300 South Korean civilians were killed during that struggle against military rule.

The Chinese withdrawal now casts a shadow over the event's opening. Preparations at the Hajeongung Art Museum, set to host China's special exhibition, have been halted.