Gwangju Media Art Platform (G.MAP) is planning a “UNESCO Media Arts Creative Cities Pavilion” to commemorate the 16th Gwangju Biennale, scheduled for next year.
 
Gwangju Metropolitan City joined the UNESCO Creative Cities of Media Arts network in 2014 and has since pursued various programs and infrastructure initiatives to foster creativity through media art and promote cultural engagement among its citizens. Currently, the UNESCO Media Arts network comprises 27 cities across 26 countries.
 
According to G.MAP on November 18, the establishment of this pavilion marks the first collaborative project by the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). It is significant as a genre-based, cross-national pavilion representing global creative city cooperation. In particular, the creation of a pavilion exclusively for UNESCO Creative Cities is expected to attract attention from the international media art community.

The plan for the Creative Cities Pavilion was formalized when the Gwangju Media Art Platform’s delegation to the Creative Cities program officially presented the “UNESCO Media Arts Creative Cities Pavilion” project at the UNESCO Media Arts Creative Cities Subcommittee meeting held in Namur, Belgium, from October 22–26.
 
Following this delegation’s participation, the Creative Cities Pavilion project was selected as a major initiative of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for 2026. The announcement drew international attention, with more than ten cities expressing their intention to participate in collaboration with their respective embassies.

Starting with an online meeting with the UNESCO Creative Cities collaboration team in February next year, the participating artists for the UCCN special exhibition will be finalized in April. The pavilion is scheduled to open in September and operate for three months, featuring an opening ceremony, VIP tours, and press programs.
 
Kim Heo-kyung, director of Gwangju Media Art Platform, stated, “This pavilion is a meaningful initiative for Gwangju Media Art Platform, the Gwangju Biennale, and the UNESCO Creative Cities Network alike. We hope that this first international collaborative pavilion, created together with cities from around the world, will widely showcase Gwangju’s brand as a media art creative city to both citizens and the global community.”

References

• 광주일보, 광주 ‘유네스코 미디어아트 창의도시 파빌리온’ 신설된다, 2025.11.18