Busan is good

[Busan Biennale Press Release] Busan Biennale Opens in September under the theme We, on the Rising Wave

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The Busan Biennale Organizing Committee is pleased to unveil its final list of 64 artists and art collectives comprising 80 people from 25 countries who will be taking part in Busan Biennale 2022, which opens on September 3 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Busan, Pier 1 of Busan Port, and locations in Yeongdo and Choryang.

Busan Biennale 2022 Theme : We, on the Rising Wave

Busan Biennale 2022 is in retrospect of the collective memories that remain or lie hidden within the history of Busan since the modern era and the changes in the city’s structure, examining them in relation to the reality in the world.

‘Wave’ symbolizes the constant inflow and outflow of immigrants from other port cities around the world, suggesting global interconnectedness. It is also a metaphor for dissemination in an environment of technological change, as well as a description of Busan’s rolling landscape of seaside hills.

The phrase, ‘On the Rising Wave’ unveils the unbreakable unity between one’s body in Busan and the city’s history, as we stand atop the vibrant city as we anticipate the future.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Busan, which will be used as the main exhibition venue, is located on Eulsukdo Island at the mouth of the Nakdong River. Eulsukdo was well known for its abundance of migratory birds and rich biodiversity in the past, but the natural environment was greatly damaged during the urban industrialization. As the ecosystem changed, the urban environment also underwent major changes. At this exhibition, the wave of changes in urban ecosystems is highlighted and showcased as a global phenomenon.

The Pier 1 of Busan Port reflects the modern history of Korea, which experienced changes from war and colonial rule.

It is a place filled with stories of labor and the migration of refugees, and a place that has seen economic growth.

By connecting common contexts like that of many port cities, the warehouse (4,093㎡) located at Pier 1 will be used as the main exhibition space together with the Museum of Contemporary Art Busan.

Yeongdo has been the center of the modern shipbuilding industry since the 1930s and is an important downtown area that has driven South Korea's economic growth. Due to the decline of the shipbuilding industry since the 2000s, the abandoned factory site in Yeongdo, where only traces of it remain, will become an important exhibition site for this year’s Busan Biennale.

Lastly, the exhibition site on Choryang Sanbok Road symbolizes the ‘house’ where the lives of workers who have supported the foundation of modern industry are best incorporated. While heading to the exhibition venue perched on the hill, visitors will be enlightened on their perception of where people live as they walk up the winding road and witness how the urban landscape has changed over the years.

Busan Biennale 2022 Program for the Public

Starting with the warm-up programs, Busan Biennale 2022 is prepared with a variety of related programs such as curatorial workshops, online journals, sea chanty project etc.

Haeju Kim, the artistic director of the Busan Biennale 2022, said, “The exhibition will put forward a stance to picture how the stories of backstreets in Busan are intersected and connected to that of other major cities, in an attempt to explore ways to adapt to the ever-changing world as we ride the waves ahead of us.”

Representing 25 countries, 64 artists and art collectives help establish real-world connections with stories from Busan’s history and its changing urban framework

The theme of this year’s biennale focuses on the perspective of a global “wave,” and this is reflected in the diverse roster of artists, who represent every continent from Asia to Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Oceania. From the representation of different generations (with artists born from the 1930s to the 1990s) to the blend of genres including painting, film, video installation, sculpture, performance, and photography, this iteration’s artist roster features various identities that are equally represented with a rich mix of artworks.

Working under the theme We, on the Rising Wave, these artists reflect on the stories etched into Busan’s history and the city’s changing urban structure since the modern era, showing artwork that establishes connections with real-world situations across the planet. Highlights include:

• Korean-Dutch artist Sara Sejin Chang (Sara van der Heide) exposes the systems that contribute to establishing our thinking and order, including those relating to gender, ethnicity, and nationalism. In her work, she raises questions about these systems as she intervenes to deconstruct and reconstruct them.

• Through a “surrealistic society” based on reality and imagination, Argentine artist Mika Rottenberg turns a humorous and satirical gaze on the irrationalities of society.

• Laure Prouvost, who was the subject of a solo exhibition at Seoul’s Atelier Hermès last April, invites viewers into a fluid world where narratives of reality and imagination blend together.

• Otobong Nkanga, an artist who works in a broad range of areas that include drawing, photography, installation, video, performance, and literature, will be sharing works of installation and performance for this year’s Busan Biennale.

• The work of Mire Lee, who is currently featured in the main exhibition of the 59th Venice Biennale (2022), will also be featured in this year’s Busan Biennale. Among the four exhibition venues this year, Lee’s work will be presented in Yeongdo, where an outdoor theater is also being operated. A Korean artist who has lived in Amsterdam since 1988, Mire Lee pursues an experimental aesthetic as she explores the matter-of-factness and dynamics of industrial and technical materials, including machinery and scaffolds.

Also scheduled to visit Busan this September are around 70 other individual artists who are prolifically active in Korea and around the world, including Hyun Nahm, Nina Beier + Bob Kil, Hwayeon Nam, and Sung Hwan Kim.

Artistic director Haeju Kim explains, “Over the 65 days of the exhibition, we plan to provide a variety of public programs including performances, workshops, and talks in order to sustain a period of ongoing dialogue with visitors.”

“In particular, we will be offering an outdoor theater in the evenings at the Yeongdo site, allowing people to view the video work of our participating artists amid the Busan cityscape,” she adds. “We are preparing various new work and work based on research into the region, and we hope to see a lot of interest.”

Three official Busan Biennale 2022 posters unveiled

The official Busan Biennale 2022 posters are combinations of the initial logo presented in April with photographic images taken in Busan that have been developed into three different designs, the first of which will be used as the main poster. Unlike previous editions where the focus was more on graphic design, this year’s design was based on real images, leaving open the possibility for vast interpretation of what the people, places, and artwork on the posters represent based on the viewers’ own viewpoints and experiences. Photography for the Busan Biennale 2022 official posters were taken by Heejune Kim, an up-and-coming photographer who has collaborated with many European fashion media in addition to his work in Korea with musical acts BTS and Blackpink and football player Son Heung-min. The graphic design is by Workroom.

Collaboration with Busan City Tour and launch of activities led by supporters

The Organizing Committee is increasing its offerings to enhance the viewers’ experience, including shuttle buses and audio guides. During the 65-day event period, shuttle bus service connecting the Pier 1 of Busan Port, Yeongdo, and Choryang will be available on weekends (Saturdays, and Sundays) and holidays. In collaboration with the Busan Tourism Organization, discounts will be made available for Busan City Tour, and a new bus stop for the Busan Biennale 2022 exhibition venue in Yeongdo will be added to the existing Green Line between Busan Station and Taejongdae. To further enrich visitors’ experience, the West Busan course that opens in October will pass by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Busan, which will serve as the main venue for the Busan Biennale 2022.

Meanwhile, supporters of Busan Biennale 2022 kicked off 10 weeks of activities with a launch ceremony on July 8 at the Organizing Committee’s offices. Comprising university students as well as members of the general public and global supporters residing overseas, the supporters are working in different sections as they engage in online and offline activities that include reel challenges on social media, still and video photography, informational material development, and interviews with the participating artists.

The Busan Biennale 2022 will take place over a 65-day period from September 3 to November 6 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Busan, Pier 1 of Busan Port, and locations in Yeongdo and Choryang.

Detailed information about the participating artists can be found on the Biennale’s official website, www.busanbiennale2022.org, along with the first online journal.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Artist List

• Yusuke Kamata (Japan)

• Kam Min Kyung (Republic of Korea)

• Kang Tae Hun(Republic of Korea)

• Grace Schwindt (Germany)

• Kim Dohee (Republic of Korea)

• Sung Hwan Kim (Republic of Korea)

• Kim Young-jo (Republic of Korea)

• Gim Ikhyun (Republic of Korea)

• Kim Jeonggeun (Republic of Korea)

• Kim Jeonggeun (Republic of Korea)

• Kim Jooyoung (Republic of Korea)

• Kim Jigon (Republic of Korea)

• Hwayeon Nam (Republic of Korea)

• Nina Beier (Denmark) + Bob Kil (UK)

• Rice Brewing Sisters Club (Republic of Korea)

• Laure Prouvost (France)

• Marwan Rechmaoui (Lebanon)

• Mahyad Tousi (USA)

• Megan Cope (Australia)

• Mounira Al Solh (Lebanon)

• Moon Jiyoung (Republic of Korea)

• Mika Rottenberg (Argentina)

• Bassem Saad (Lebanon)

• Park Minhee (Republic of Korea)

• Beob In(Republic of Korea)

• Aki Sasamoto (Japan)

• Sancintya Mohini Simpson (Australia)

• Sandy Rodriguez (USA)

• Sera Waters (Australia)

• Song Min Jung (Republic of Korea)

• Hsu Chia-Wei (Taiwan)

• Adeela Suleman (Pakistan)

• Arturo Kameya (Peru)

• Alexander Ugay (Kazakhstan)

• Alma Heikkilä (Finland)

• Au Sow Yee (Malaysia)

• Evelyn Taocheng Wang (China/Netherlands)

• Elisa Jane Carmichael (Australia)

• Oh Suk Kuhn (Republic of Korea)

• Oh U-Am (Republic of Korea)

• Eoghan Ryan (Ireland)

• Otobong Nkanga (Nigeria)

• Edith Amituanai (New Zealand)

• Mire Lee (Republic of Korea)

• Lee In-Mi (Republic of Korea)

• Choong Sup Lim (Republic of Korea)

• Sara Sejin Chang (Sara van der Heide) (Netherlands)

• Chung Heemin (Republic of Korea)

• Jennifer Tee (Netherlands)

• Joyul (Republic of Korea)

• Charles Avery (UK)

• Chong Kim Chiew (Malaysia)

• Choi Ho Chul (Republic of Korea)

• Chim↑Pom from Smappa!Group (Japan)

• Qavavau Manumie (Canada)

• Cooking Sections, Tabita Rezaire (France/Denmark)

• Fabien Giraud & Raphaël Siboni (France)

• PACK (South Korea)

• Francisco Camacho Herrera (Colombia/Netherlands)

• Franco Salmoiraghi (Colombia/Netherlands)

• Franco Salmoiraghi (USA)

• Pia Rönicke (Denmark)

• Phyllida Barlow (UK)

• Hyun Nahm(Republic of Korea)

• Hira Nabi (Pakistan)

Curatorial Advisors

• Christine Tohme

• Philippe Pirotte

• Yuk Hui

About the Busan Biennale Organizing Committee

The Busan Biennale Organizing Committee was first established in 1999 as Busan International Art Festival Organizing Committee and changed its name in 2001 as 'Busan Biennale'. Through staging Busan Biennale every even-numbered year and the Sea Art Festival every odd-numbered year, the organizing committee presents resonating site-specific artworks that are inspired by the identity and local characteristics of the city, striving to promote Korean art and culture to the global audience whilst introducing the canons of international art to local audiences.

Inaugurated in 1981 as Busan Youth Biennale formed by young Korean artists, Busan Biennale has become a leading art biennale in Korea and beyond. The main notions that Busan Biennale conveys are locality, internationality and communicability by reflecting on local lives and culture that feed into the overarching theme of each edition.

About Haeju Kim

Haeju Kim (b.1980) received her BA in Plastic Arts from Université de Paris VIII in France and her MA in Cultural Studies from Panthéon Sorbonne University in France. After returning to Korea, Kim has been involved in a wide range of experimental practices in museums, institutions, and organizations in Korea. She participated in Busan Biennale 2006 and worked as an assistant curator at the Nam June Paik Art Center in 2008. She also worked as a researcher at the National Theater Company of Korea and curated exhibitions at the Asia Culture Center in Gwangju and Seoul Museum of Art. Since then, she also served as a deputy director of Art Sonje Center from 2017 till October 2020, curating various exhibitions, including Dust Clay Stone (2020) and Night Turns to Day (2020).