‘Taiwan Pavilion’ opens at Gwangju Biennale amid naming controversy, Chinese walkout

A pavilion showcasing works by Taiwanese artists at the 16th edition of the Gwangju Biennale opened Saturday amid its naming controversy.

This year's biennale, considered one of Asia's most prominent contemporary art events, features a main exhibition in the southwestern city of Gwangju alongside a project with 16 national pavilions and 11 institutional pavilions, including one for the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA).

The biennale organizers initially decided to call the space "Taiwan Pavilion" before changing it to "NTMoFA Pavilion." It drew a protest from Taiwan's culture ministry, forcing the Gwangju Biennale Foundation to reverse its decision and approve the use of "Taiwan Pavilion."

This in turn drew a formal expression of regret and concern from Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing to Gwangju Mayor Min Hyung-bae. China views self-ruled Taiwan as part of its own territory under a "one China" principle. Artists representing the China Pavilion subsequently halted installation work and withdrew from the event in protest.

At the opening ceremony for the Taiwan Pavilion, Chen Kuang-Yi, director of the NTMoFA, said it was "fortunate" the name remained in place thanks to support from various fronts.

"It carries extra significance to set up the pavilion under its original name in the city of Gwangju, home of Korean democracy and spirit of human rights," Chen said.

The exhibition at the pavilion is titled "Instance Dungeons: Gray Zone," which explores geopolitical tensions and uncertainty. The title comes from video game terminology, referring to an isolated level that players can repeatedly enter and challenge anew.

Works by such artists as Cheng Hsien-Yu, Lin Yu-Liang, Li Yi-Fan and Su Hui-Yu will be on display.

The biennale organizers are holding out hope that Chinese artists will return.

Yonhap