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The 10th Gwangju Biennale opened yesterday with a ceremony attended by the head of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Kim Jongdeok; major of Gwangju Yoon Jang-hyun; chairman of the Gwangju City Council, Cho Young-Pyo; and roughly 2,000 art professionals, journalists, and locals.
“The Gwangju Biennale, which was first established 20 years ago, has grown to become one of the world’s most distinguished biennales,” said the mayor. “We will do our best to help develop it further, as one of our country’s most representative assets.
Movie star Jung Woo-Sung served as honorary ambassador to the biennale this year and also attended the opening ceremony.
In addition, the winner of the 2014 NOON Art Prize was announced at the opening. The award, named after the art journal of the same name, was established to honor the values of the Gwangju Democratic Uprising alongside the biennale.
Lee Bul won the Established Artist award and $10,000, and choreographers Cecilia Bengolea & Francois Chaignaud were recognized with the Emerging Artist award and $5,000. The Posthumous accolade was awarded to Tetsuya Ishida.
“The early works of Lee Bul, who denounces suppression and discrimination against women within a male-dominated society while challenging the norms of visual culture, have left a lingering imagery and conveyed a powerful message,” said the judging panel, which consisted of Hong-Hee Kim, Jean de Loisy, Okwui Enwezor, Bartomeu Mari, and Wong Shun-Kit.