Chinese Artists Boycott Gwangju Biennale Over Taiwan Pavilion Name
Chinese artists withdraw from Gwangju Biennale after organizers use 'Taiwan Pavilion' name, which Beijing rejects.
A group of Chinese artists has withdrawn from the Gwangju Biennale in South Korea, one of Asia's most prominent art festivals, over the organizers' decision to label a Taiwanese exhibition as the "Taiwan Pavilion." The move has drawn sharp criticism from China's Foreign Ministry, which reiterated its stance that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory.
On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun criticized the biennale organizers for what he called a "wrongful practice" that allows Taiwan to participate under a designation incompatible with its status. He urged the South Korean government to uphold its commitment to the "one China" principle through concrete actions.
The Chinese artists announced their withdrawal on the same day, just ahead of the festival's opening on Saturday. The exhibition is scheduled to run until mid-November. The "Taiwan Pavilion" is part of the biennale's Pavilion Project, which includes about 25 small national and institutional galleries operating separately from the main exhibition site.
Chinese curator Ruan Yuelai told reporters that the exhibition team unanimously agreed to withdraw in protest, saying the organizers' use of an incorrect name had allowed a political issue to spill into the art world. As of Friday afternoon, the Chinese artworks had not yet been removed from the venue.
Taiwan's Ministry of Culture said it had planned to exhibit under the name "Taiwan Pavilion" but protested after organizers changed it to "National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts Pavilion." The biennale organizers said they had signed a contract with the museum and believed the exhibition would be presented under the museum's acronym, NTMoFA. They added that the Taiwanese museum later insisted on the "Taiwan Pavilion" name, and organizers felt pressured to accept it.
The art festival issued an apology on Wednesday for causing concern and confusion among participants in the Pavilion Project.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, and the two sides have been governed separately since 1949. Beijing has increased pressure on Taiwan in recent years, including reducing its diplomatic allies. The latest dispute comes amid broader tensions, including China's warning over Taiwan's foreign minister attending a forum in Palau and its earlier pressure on an African country to exclude Taiwanese activists from a human rights conference.
South Korea's Foreign Ministry said the naming decision was made by a non-governmental entity and should not affect bilateral relations. The ministry expressed hope that the issue would not harm ties between the two countries, which are major trading partners.