Gwangju · South Korea
Gwangju Biennale Opens Artistic Director Search to Global Candidates
For the first time, the 17th edition will be selected through an open international call rather than closed recommendations.
A Historic Shift in Selection
The Gwangju Biennale Foundation has launched an international open call for the Artistic Director of the 17th Gwangju Biennale, scheduled for 2028. The move marks a decisive break from the institution's previous practice of appointing directors through a closed recommendation system, in which a small advisory panel nominated candidates for final selection.
While that earlier model frequently attracted high-profile international figures, the Foundation argues that a more transparent and democratic process better reflects the Biennale's 30-year legacy and the civic values of Gwangju itself. The stated aim is to foreground curatorial vision, exhibition content and professional capability over established reputation.
Who Can Apply
The call is open to exhibition professionals and curators worldwide, with no restrictions on nationality, gender or age. Applications may be submitted by individuals or by teams of two or more co-artistic directors, and collaborative proposals pairing Korean and international practitioners are explicitly encouraged.
The Foundation is seeking exhibition concepts that artistically engage with Gwangju's founding commitments to democracy, peace and human rights, while also advancing new critical discourse within contemporary art.
Timeline and Process
Applications will be accepted from 8 June to 3 August 2026, with all materials — including an application form, exhibition proposal and portfolio — to be submitted by email to gb17@gwangjubiennale.org. Detailed guidelines are available on the Gwangju Biennale website.
Document screening will take place in August 2026, with shortlisted candidates invited to present their proposals and attend interviews in September. A single artistic director, or one curatorial team, is expected to be selected and officially announced in October 2026.
The chosen director will oversee the main exhibition of the 17th Gwangju Biennale in 2028.
Related reading
M+M: The Day of the Mantis at the 16th Gwangju Biennale
Luxembourg Pavilion's immersive insect-centric film trilogy explores ecological anxiety and non-human perspectives
A new cinematic installation by Marc Weis and Martin De Mattia refracts contemporary unease through the eyes of arthropods at South Korea's premier contemporary art festival.
Birke Gorm: the evening and the morning and the night at the Gwangju Biennale
Austria's national pavilion reimagines a museum loft as a living archive of repurposed sculpture and hidden histories.
The Austrian Pavilion transforms an upper-floor gallery into a tactile attic, exploring material memory and marginalised narratives through sculpture and sound.
Vibe Era: Contemporary Abstraction and the Rise of Atmosphere
How four artists reframe non-representational practice through organic process and visual mutation
The Ilmin Museum of Art's latest survey examines how contemporary abstraction navigates the tension between historical legacy and algorithmic generation.