‘Taiwan Pavilion’ Naming Restored, but Gwangju Biennale Faces Fallout
Creatrip Team
23 days ago
The Taiwan Pavilion at the 16th Gwangju Biennale resumed installation after a week-long delay when organizers approved use of the name “Taiwan Pavilion.” The dispute began when the Biennale foundation reportedly listed the exhibition as “NTMoFA Pavilion” (National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts) on promotional materials, prompting Taiwan’s curators and artists to accuse the change of political censorship. Taiwan’s culture ministry insisted the pavilion represented Taiwan and used that name from the proposal stage. After artworks arrived but could not be installed, the foundation accepted official documentation from Taiwan’s ministry and allowed the “Taiwan Pavilion” name to be used. The controversy sparked public criticism, calls for the foundation’s transparency and apology, and diplomatic expressions of concern from China’s ambassador to Korea, highlighting tensions between artistic autonomy and geopolitics over naming at international events. The Biennale opens Oct 5 under the theme “You Must Change Your Life.”
