On July 14, the Changwon Cultural Foundation held a press conference to unveil the theme and curatorial direction of the 2026 Changwon Sculpture Biennale, which will open this September.
 
As Korea’s only biennale dedicated exclusively to sculpture, the Changwon Sculpture Biennale has, for the first time this year, adopted a co-artistic director system that includes an international curator. The biennale also positions itself as a “citywide biennale,” extending its exhibitions and programs across the urban landscape.
 
Under the theme 《Resonance Field》, the biennale will feature more than 200 works by 81 artists from 74 teams representing 14 countries. The exhibition will be presented across five venues in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, including Seongsan Art Hall, The House of Changwon, the Changwon History Museum of Folk, the area surrounding Jinhae Station, and Masan Fish Market.

Co-Artistic Directors Cho Hyejung and Jun Jiang begin with the question: “Can sculpture become a site where humans and the world are reopened to one another and invited into dialogue?” The biennale explores the possibility that sculpture’s qualities of presence and corporeality can rekindle resonance between humans and the world, as well as among people themselves.
 
Speaking at the press conference, Cho Hyejung explained, “Resonance is not about reducing different beings into a single entity, but about allowing them to vibrate together while remaining distinct.”
 
She added, “Within the biennale, artists from diverse cultural backgrounds will resonate with one another across the three regions of Masan, Jinhae, and Changwon—places that each embody different historical trajectories—while preserving their own unique characteristics.”
 
Jun Jiang likewise emphasized the biennale’s commitment to fostering intercultural dialogue, stating, “By connecting Changwon’s local context with global issues, we hope to propose new forms of relationships that link the city, the individual, and the wider world.”

The biennale consists of the main exhibition alongside two special exhibitions.
 
The main exhibition, 《Resonance Field》, unfolds across both the indoor spaces of Seongsan Art Hall and a series of outdoor sites throughout the city, including Masan Fish Market, The House of Changwon, and the area surrounding Jinhae Station. Moving between indoor and outdoor venues, visitors are invited to experience a field of resonance co-created by artworks and the urban environment.
 
Participating artists include internationally renowned figures such as Kimsooja, Pedro Reyes (Mexico), Manal AlDowayan (Saudi Arabia), and Liu Jianhua (China).
 
Among the special exhibitions, 《Before Sculpture》, curated by Co-Artistic Director Cho Hyejung, examines the works of major East Asian artists including Kim Yun Shin, Shim Moon Seup, Ma Desheng, Zhan Wang, and Ju Ming through the lens of fundamental sculptural actions—carving, hollowing, binding, and stacking.
 
The exhibition connects longstanding East Asian sensibilities of form-making with contemporary sculptural practices.
 
Curated by Co-Artistic Director Jun Jiang, 《Changwon Sculpture Atlas》 takes the form of a map-based digital archive that links this year’s exhibited works with public sculptures from previous editions of the Changwon Sculpture Biennale through geospatial data.
 
The exhibition proposes a new sculptural experience, inviting audiences to interpret participating artists’ works through the historical, geographical, and cultural contexts of Changwon.

A wide range of accompanying programs will also be presented throughout the biennale.
 
These include the international symposium “Resonance Network”, the scholarly contribution program “Resonance Study”, and the lecture series “Resonance Academy”.
 
In addition, a variety of public engagement initiatives have been organized, including “Resonance Docent”, “Plant Care Project”, and “Resonance Workshop: I Too / We Too Are Sculptors”.
 
Now in its eighth edition, the Changwon Sculpture Biennale will run for 47 days, from September 30 to November 15.
 
Further information about the biennale and its programs can be found on the Changwon Sculpture Biennale website(https://changwonbiennale.or.kr/cboc/).

References

• 연합뉴스, 세계 조각가들 공명하는 장…창원조각비엔날레 9월 개막(종합), 2026.07.14
• 쿠키뉴스, 2026 창원조각비엔날레, 도시 전체를 전시장으로…‘공명장’ 9월 30일 개막, 2026.07.17
• 창원조각비엔날레 (Changwon Sculpture Biennale)