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Burning Down the House: Gwangju Biennale Programme Announce
by Ashitha Nagesh
01/05/14 10:16 PM EDT
The programme for the tenth edition of the Gwangju Biennale in South Korea was announced this morning, May 1. The biennale will take place from September 5 to November 9 this year.
The title will be “Burning Down the House.” Tate curator Jessica Morgan, who is also curating the biennale, said at a press conference this morning that this is not only a reference to the Talking Heads pop anthem from the 1980s, but also to Gwangju’s tragic history.
The town of Gwangju was at the centre of a violent movement for democracy in 1980, the Gwangju Uprising, which saw approximately 165 people killed.
“Gwangju is not an obvious place to have a biennale,” Morgan said. “But there is an explosion of activity there.”
“There [in Gwangju] your landscape is defined by being forcefully evicted from your home.”
The entire biennale will be taking place in one location ? an exhibition hall comprising five galleries.
Further, although all of the artists will be working along these themes of burning and destruction to some degree, the most harrowing works will be presented in the first gallery.
For example, London-based design collective El Ultimo Grito will be creating “smoky interiors,” while Korean artist Minouk Lim will work with survivors of the massacres for his piece that will be “right at the centre of the Biennale.”
“We keep saying that if you get through the first gallery you’ll be fine,” Morgan said, adding: “it really is a very dark exploration of destruction.”
Other renowned artists participating include: Jeremy Deller, Liu Xiaodong, Urs Fischer, Pierre Huyghe, Prem Sahib, Akram Zaatari, Renata Lucas, Cornelia Parker and Carsten Höller. George Condo will also be producing new sculpture for the biennale.
Gwangju Biennale, 111 Biennale-ro, Gwangju, Republic of Korea 500-845, September 5 to November 9