The Jeju Museum of Art is set to open a spectacular new chapter in an artistic festival where leading figures of contemporary art from around the world intersect with the nature and history of Jeju.
 
The museum has announced the final list of participating artists for the 2026 5th Jeju Biennale, which will open on August 25.
 
This edition of the Biennale will bring together 69 artists and artist groups from 21 countries, presenting a diverse panorama of contemporary artistic practices from across the globe.
 
Notably, approximately 30 percent of the participating artists are from Jeju, reflecting the Biennale’s commitment to weaving locally rooted perspectives together with international concerns and discourses.
 
Artists from a wide range of generations and regions will also take part, offering multilayered interpretations of contemporary issues through the unique cultural context of Jeju.

This edition of the Biennale brings together a broad spectrum of works, ranging from masters who have shaped the history of Korean contemporary art to internationally acclaimed contemporary artists.
 
Among the participants are renowned figures of Korean art, including Lee Ufan, Yun Hyong-keun, Lee Ungno, Suh Se Ok, and Theresa Hak Kyung Cha. They are joined by internationally recognized artists such as Wael Shawky and Saodat Ismailova, as well as leading Jeju-based artists including Byun Shi-Ji and Kang Yo-bae, whose works illuminate the island’s distinct artistic identity.
 
The Biennale also features artists from a wide range of cultural contexts, including Ukraine, Canada, Japan, and Chile, introducing contemporary artistic practices that are rarely encountered in Korea. Working across painting, sculpture, installation, video, and other media, these artists will present numerous new works responding to global issues such as historical violence and the climate crisis.
 
In addition, a dedicated Film Program will be presented at the Jeju Arts Platform, featuring internationally acclaimed filmmakers and moving-image artists. Works by Patricio Guzmán and Ben Rivers, among others, will offer audiences an in-depth look at current developments in contemporary film and video art.

The exhibition is structured across three distinct thematic sections, unfolding across three venues: the Jeju Museum of Art, Jeju Stone Park, and exhibition spaces in Jeju’s historic downtown district.
 
Jeju Museum of Art ㅣ Human
 
This section focuses on the genealogy of artistic forms and aesthetics that emerged from the unique condition of exile in Jeju.
 
On view are historical works including a reproduction of SEHANDO (Facsimile edition) by Chusa Kim Jeong-hui and traditional Jeju character paintings, alongside works by Nam June Paik, Lee Ufan, Yun Hyong-keun, Lee Ungno, Suh Se Ok, Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, Kang Yo-bae, Byun Shi-ji, Pier Fabre, and Aslan Goisum.
 
Jeju Stone Park (Obaekjanggun Gallery) ㅣ Stone
 
Taking Jeju’s basalt as a witness to time and history, this section explores how the region’s northern megalithic traditions resonate within contemporary aesthetics.
 
Participating artists include Kim Jung-hun, Gala Porras-Kim, Masao Okabe + Chihiro Minato, Roomtone, and Song Feel, presenting works that engage in dialogue with the rhythms of the natural world.
 
Jeju Old Downtown(Jeju Arts Platform, Art Space IAa, Gallery Remicon) ㅣ Deities
 
This section boldly reinterprets the multilayered and inclusive nature of Jeju mythology—rooted in the island’s identity as the “home of eighteen thousand gods”—through a contemporary lens.
 
Presented across Art Space IAa, Jeju Arts Platform, and Gallery Remicon, it features works by Sangdon Kim, AES+F, Wael Shawky, Jane Jin Kaisen, and Choi Min-hwa, among others.

Since its launch in 2017, the Jeju Biennale has steadily built its identity over the past decade. Drawing on this accumulated experience, the Biennale now aims to present a concrete vision for its next stage of growth, positioning both Jeju and the Biennale more prominently on the global art stage.
 
Lee Jong Hoo, Director of the Jeju Museum of Art and Artistic Director of the Biennale, remarked, “This edition of the Biennale carries particular significance as it arrives at a moment of transition. We hope it will become a vibrant festival of art and culture where visitors can fully experience, participate in, and engage with art throughout Jeju’s historic downtown and natural landscapes—places imbued with the lives and memories of its residents—and share in the joyful spirit of heokkeugok, modakchigok, iyahong.”

References

• 제주도립미술관 보도자료 (Jeju Museum of Art Press Release)