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By Ian Werther in News —

Gwangju Biennale 16th Opens With You Must Change Your Life Theme

The 16th Gwangju Biennale will run from September 5 to November 15 at the Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall, with national pavilions planned at multiple venues around the city opening in tandem with the main show. The event marks one of South Korea’s premier platforms for contemporary art and international curatorial exchange.

At a press briefing in Seoul on September 13, the biennale’s artistic director announced the exhibition’s theme: You Must Change Your Life. The title links to Rainer Maria Rilke’s 1908 poem Archaic Torso of Apollo, whose final line urges transformation, and the director cited inspiration from that work as well as volcanic stone from the Jeju Stone Culture Park.

Yoonjai Choi, Glen Cummings, and Neil Donnelly Response by Michael Rock and Susan Sellers Presented as part of the Graphics Project, organized by Forrest Jessee Hear three different designers present three different book projects. The conversation will focus on current trends in graphic design as well as the process of designing and editing books for different audiences and purposes. The presentations will be followed by a discussion between the designers led by Michael Rock and Susan Sellers. Yoonjai Choi is a graphic designer and partner at Common Name. Prior to co-founding the studio, Yoonjai held an art director position at New York design studio 2×4 for 5 years, where she worked with a variety of clients including LACMA, Prada, OMA, Bernard Tschumi, MoMA PS1, Rafael Moneo, and Barneys New York. Glen Cummings is a designer and partner at MTWTF. MTWTF is a graphic design studio specializing in publications, environmental graphics and identity systems. Neil Donnelly is a graphic designer who often works with clients in architecture and art, including the Guggenheim, Yale University, Domus, Columbia University, The New York Times, Princeton Architectural Press, Storefront for Art and Architecture, and the Center for Urban Pedagogy. His work was included in the 2012 Brno Biennial of Graphic Design and has been featured at the Gwangju Design Biennale, the New Museum, the Museum of Arts and Design, and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. Michael Rock and Susan Sellers are founders of studio 2x4. 2x4 is a global design consultancy headquartered in New York City with satellite studios in Beijing and Madrid. 2x4 focuses on brand strategy for cultural and commercial clients who value the power of design. Michael Rock is the Director of Graphical Architecture Studies at GSAPP. http://www.arch.columbia.edu
Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

The director described change as not confined to dramatic, single events. Rather, it encompasses a range of speeds and scales, from slow, imperceptible shifts to sudden, explosive moments. The show aims to reflect that spectrum of change in its presentation and works.

Conceptually, the biennale centers on “change” and “practice,” the director said. He described Gwangju as a city historically associated with transformation and democracy, noting that its struggle toward democracy is a living history. The curatorial point, he added, is that change is realized through ongoing, repetitive practices rather than a one-off act.

This edition will feature about 40 participating artist teams, the smallest number in the biennale’s history, with some artists presenting multiple works. Among the new works commissioned under the GB Commission program are pieces by Kwon Byung-joon and Park Chan-kyung, including a fresh sound installation titled Bulrip that uses metal donated by residents of the Gwangju region melted for the work.

Yoonjai Choi, Glen Cummings, and Neil Donnelly Response by Michael Rock and Susan Sellers Presented as part of the Graphics Project, organized by Forrest Jessee Hear three different designers present three different book projects. The conversation will focus on current trends in graphic design as well as the process of designing and editing books for different audiences and purposes. The presentations will be followed by a discussion between the designers led by Michael Rock and Susan Sellers. Yoonjai Choi is a graphic designer and partner at Common Name. Prior to co-founding the studio, Yoonjai held an art director position at New York design studio 2×4 for 5 years, where she worked with a variety of clients including LACMA, Prada, OMA, Bernard Tschumi, MoMA PS1, Rafael Moneo, and Barneys New York. Glen Cummings is a designer and partner at MTWTF. MTWTF is a graphic design studio specializing in publications, environmental graphics and identity systems. Neil Donnelly is a graphic designer who often works with clients in architecture and art, including the Guggenheim, Yale University, Domus, Columbia University, The New York Times, Princeton Architectural Press, Storefront for Art and Architecture, and the Center for Urban Pedagogy. His work was included in the 2012 Brno Biennial of Graphic Design and has been featured at the Gwangju Design Biennale, the New Museum, the Museum of Arts and Design, and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. Michael Rock and Susan Sellers are founders of studio 2x4. 2x4 is a global design consultancy headquartered in New York City with satellite studios in Beijing and Madrid. 2x4 focuses on brand strategy for cultural and commercial clients who value the power of design. Michael Rock is the Director of Graphical Architecture Studies at GSAPP. http://www.arch.columbia.edu
Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

In addition to the main exhibition, the biennale will run a network of national pavilions at various locations in and around Gwangju, launching in conjunction with the primary show. The combination of the central hall program and distributed pavilions offers multiple access points for international visitors and curators.

For U.S. audiences, the Gwangju Biennale represents an influential node in Asia’s contemporary-art ecosystem, often shaping trends in exhibitions, collecting, and collaboration. The event’s emphasis on community participation, sustainability through repurposed materials, and historically resonant themes of change and democracy can foster cross-border partnerships with American galleries, museums, and artists. The biennale’s programming and resulting works may travel to, or inspire, exhibitions and acquisitions in the United States, contributing to cultural diplomacy and the global reach of Korean art.

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