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
OCAD University Brings Kanien'kehá:ka-Led Pavilion to 2026 Gwangju Biennale
Skennen'kó:wa ken? (Do You Carry Great Peace?) features Shelley Niro, Melissa General, and Hannah Claus at the Canada Pavilion
A Kanien'kehá:ka-led exhibition curated by Ryan Rice will represent Canada at the 2026 Gwangju Biennale, exploring Haudenosaunee philosophies of peace, rematriation, and self-governance through interdisciplinary contemporary art.
Kwon Byungjun: I Embrace You at Buk-Seoul Museum of Art
A sprawling exhibition of wobbling robots, sound installations and participatory workshops explores what it means to welcome the stranger
Running from June 2026 to May 2027, SeMA Buk-Seoul presents Kwon Byungjun's ambitious project using robots and sound to question how we encounter difference and build a shared sense of 'we'.
Shenzhen's First Art and Technology Biennial Opens with a Quantum Proposition
Over fifty artists and researchers gather at SIMoA to explore how observation collapses reality into fleeting certainty
The inaugural Shenzhen Art and Technology Biennial, directed by Zikang Zhang and curated by Naiyi Wang and Mónica Bello, treats the act of looking as a force that reshapes what exists.