The 16th Gwangju Biennale opened on September 5, 2026. Titled 《You Must Change Your Life》, the biennale presents its main exhibition and pavilion projects through November 15.

Ahead of the opening, a dispute arose over the official name of the Taiwanese pavilion. When the Gwangju Biennale Foundation listed it as the “NTMoFA Pavilion” in its official promotional materials, Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture and the participating artists objected. After the foundation subsequently approved the name “Taiwan Pavilion,” the China Pavilion exhibition team announced its withdrawal.
 
The 16th Gwangju Biennale opened as scheduled, and the Taiwan Pavilion began welcoming visitors under the name “Taiwan Pavilion” on September 5. The China Pavilion exhibition team had formally announced its withdrawal two days earlier, on September 3. (Focus Taiwan)

The Renaming and Restoration of the Taiwan Pavilion
 
Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture and the participating artists stated that the name “Taiwan Pavilion,” which had been used throughout preparations for the exhibition, was changed to “NTMoFA Pavilion”—an abbreviation of the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts—in the Gwangju Biennale’s official promotional materials.
 
The Gwangju Biennale Foundation explained that it had signed an agreement with the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in January 2026 in the institution’s official capacity. According to the foundation, the institutional name was used under its operating system, which distinguishes national pavilions from institutional pavilions. The contracting party was the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, rather than Taiwan as a country or region.
 
Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture and the participating artists stated that “Taiwan Pavilion” had been used in the proposal and throughout the exhibition preparations, and that the change in the official promotional materials had been made without sufficient consultation. The International Association of Art Critics and several artists participating in the Gwangju Biennale also issued statements calling for the original name to be restored. (AICA International)
 
Following further discussions with Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture and the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, the Gwangju Biennale Foundation approved the name “Taiwan Pavilion” on August 26. The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts submitted an official document stating that it was participating in the pavilion project as Taiwan’s representative, and the foundation authorized the name on that basis. (ArtReview)

The China Pavilion’s Suspension of Installation and Withdrawal
 
After the Gwangju Biennale Foundation approved the name “Taiwan Pavilion,” Chinese representatives formally objected to the decision.
 
Dai Bing, China’s ambassador to South Korea, expressed concern and regret over the approval during a meeting with the mayor of Gwangju. On August 28, the China Pavilion exhibition team halted the installation of its works at the Ha Jungwoong Museum of Art. It then held a press conference on September 3 to announce its withdrawal from the exhibition.
 
The China Pavilion team stated that the name “Taiwan Pavilion” was inconsistent with the One China principle. On the same day, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred to the joint communiqué establishing diplomatic relations between China and South Korea, opposed the use of the name, and requested corrective action from the South Korean side. (Yonhap News Agency)
 
South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the pavilion’s name had been determined by the Gwangju Biennale Foundation, a nongovernmental organization, and was separate from the South Korean government’s diplomatic position. The ministry added that South Korea’s existing position on its relationship with China and the One China policy remained unchanged. (Associated Press)
 
The Taiwan Pavilion consequently opened under the name “Taiwan Pavilion,” while the China Pavilion withdrew from the exhibition. The main exhibition and the remaining pavilions are operating according to schedule.
 
 
 
National and Institutional Pavilions
 
The Gwangju Biennale Pavilion differs structurally from the national pavilion system of the Venice Biennale.
 
Launched in 2018, the Gwangju Biennale Pavilion includes participating countries as well as cities, museums, cultural institutions, and arts organizations. Its 2026 open call identified eligible applicants as “Countries and Institutions.” The event was initially scheduled to include 16 national pavilions and 11 institutional pavilions. (Gwangju Biennale)
 
Within such a hybrid structure, the legal entity signing an agreement may differ from the public name used for an exhibition. In some cases, a ministry of culture or a national museum organizes an exhibition under the name of a country or region. In others, the organizing institution’s name is used as the pavilion title.
 
There is no single naming convention governing pavilions across all international art events. Each organizer determines official names according to its own participation rules, the laws of the host country, and agreements with participating organizations. Any subsequent change is also governed by the organizer’s regulations and the consultation procedures agreed upon by the participating parties.
 
At the 2026 Gwangju Biennale, different criteria were applied to the classification of national and institutional pavilions, the identity of the contracting party, and the pavilion’s public name, resulting in disagreement over the official designation.

The Taiwan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale
 
The Venice Biennale demonstrates that a pavilion’s public name and its official status do not necessarily coincide.
 
Taiwan first participated in the Venice Biennale in 1995, with the exhibition organized by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. The Taiwan Pavilion operated as a national pavilion in 1995, 1997, and 1999. It was subsequently reclassified as a collateral event rather than an official national pavilion of the Venice Biennale. (Taipei Fine Arts Museum)
 
Even after this change in status, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum continued to use the name “Taiwan Pavilion” for its exhibitions in Venice. Its 2024 and 2026 presentations were also organized as collateral events by the museum and publicly presented under the names “Taiwan Pavilion” or “Taiwan in Venice.” (Taipei Fine Arts Museum)
 
The Venice Biennale makes an institutional distinction between official national pavilions and collateral events. National pavilions operate through official invitation procedures involving the Venice Biennale and diplomatic recognition by the Italian government, while collateral events are separately selected by the foundation and presented during the biennale period.
 
The use of the name “Taiwan Pavilion” therefore does not, by itself, determine whether the exhibition is an official national pavilion of the Venice Biennale or a collateral event organized by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. Its institutional status is established through a separate classification process.
 
 
 
Participation and Withdrawal at International Art Events
 
International biennales have repeatedly faced cases in which national pavilions or participating artists have withdrawn because of war or diplomatic conflict.
 
At the 2022 Venice Biennale, the artists and curator of the Russian Pavilion withdrew following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia also did not organize its own exhibition in 2024, instead making its national pavilion building available to Bolivia.
 
At the 2024 Venice Biennale, the artist and curators representing Israel announced that they would not open their exhibition until a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages had been achieved. The Venice Biennale did not cancel Israel’s participation; the artist and curators decided independently not to open the exhibition. (Reuters)
 
The Russian Pavilion returned to the Venice Biennale in 2026. The Ukrainian government and several European countries opposed Russia’s participation, while the European Union withdrew approximately €2 million in funding from the Venice Biennale.
 
The Venice Biennale issued an official statement opposing the exclusion and censorship of culture and art and maintained Russia’s participation. Italy’s Ministry of Culture explained that the Russian Pavilion’s inclusion was an independent decision made by the Venice Biennale Foundation rather than the Italian government. (Associated Press)
 
These cases distinguish decisions made by an event organizer from those made by individual participants. The cancellation of a participant’s eligibility by an organizer, voluntary withdrawal by a participant, a decision to retain an exhibition space without opening it, and the withdrawal of support by a government or funding body are separate actions carried out through different procedures.

The Gwangju Biennale’s Institutional Responsibility and Next Steps
 
At a press conference on September 4, ahead of the biennale’s opening, Yoon Bum-mo, president of the Gwangju Biennale Foundation, expressed regret over the controversy surrounding the Taiwan Pavilion’s name and the withdrawal of the China Pavilion. He also announced that the foundation would review its current pavilion system, which distinguishes between national and institutional pavilions. (Yonhap News Agency)
 
The Gwangju Biennale Foundation’s operational shortcomings also contributed directly to the dispute. Although its pavilion program accommodates both countries and institutions, the foundation had not established clear rules for cases in which the contracting party and the pavilion’s public name differ. The name used during preparations also differed from the one published in official promotional materials, indicating that the procedure for confirming the final designation with the participating institution had not functioned adequately.
 
The foundation’s response after the dispute emerged was largely reactive. It initially explained that the name “NTMoFA Pavilion” had been used because the agreement was signed with the museum in its institutional capacity. Following objections from the Taiwanese side and members of the art community, however, it approved the name “Taiwan Pavilion” on August 26.

This was followed by formal objections from the Chinese side, a halt to the installation of works, and the eventual withdrawal of the China Pavilion. The fact that neither the pavilion’s name nor the principles for handling the dispute had been settled until shortly before the opening revealed the absence of an adequate system for managing politically sensitive issues.
 
The controversy concerns the relationship between art and politics, but it is also a matter of institutional administration and risk management. The Gwangju Biennale must now identify what was missing from its decision-making and consultation procedures and revise its policies to prevent a similar dispute from recurring.

Jay Jongho Kim graduated from the Department of Art Theory at Hongik University and earned his master's degree in Art Planning from the same university. From 1996 to 2006, he worked as a curator at Gallery Seomi, planning director at CAIS Gallery, head of the curatorial research team at Art Center Nabi, director at Gallery Hyundai, and curator at Gana New York.

From 2008 to 2017, he served as the executive director of Doosan Gallery Seoul & New York and Doosan Residency New York, introducing Korean contemporary artists to the local scene in New York. After returning to Korea in 2017, he worked as an art consultant, conducting art education, collection consulting, and various art projects.

In 2021, he founded A Project Company and is currently running the platforms K-ARTNOW.COM and K-ARTIST.COM, which aim to promote Korean contemporary art on the global stage.