Taiwanese Artists Accuse Gwangju Biennale of ‘Political Censorship’

The team behind Taiwan’s presentation at the 2026 Gwangju Biennale has accused the exhibition of “political censorship” and of posing a “threat to freedom of expression”, amid claims that the name of their project—Taiwan Pavilion—was changed without their consent.

In an Instagram post shared last week to more than 30,000 followers, the South Korean biennial revealed a poster announcing the nations and institutions that will take part in its 16th edition, which opens early next month. The poster listed Taiwan’s presence under “NTMoFA”—the English acronym for the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, which is organising the presentation—but made no mention of the name that artists, curators and politicians claim had been previously agreed.

Chen Hsiang-Wen, curator of the Taiwanese presentation, told Ocula that she, and participating artists, “suspect there may have been external pressure behind the scenes”.

“This is particularly troubling given that the Gwangju Biennale itself emerged from the legacy of the Gwangju Democratisation Movement,” she said. “An institution founded upon that history of resistance is now effectively acquiescing to precisely this kind of political suppression.”

In a statement shared with Ocula, biennial organisers asserted that they had “not intervened in, or censored, exhibition planning or content”, and that it “respects the freedom of artistic creation and the independent operation of every voluntarily participating pavilion”.

The statement continued: “This matter does not concern the content of an exhibition or freedom of expression. It arises from an administrative difference concerning participant classification and naming conventions.”

An abrupt change

According to a statement released on 17 August by Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture, an official proposal naming the project the Taiwan Pavilion was delivered to biennale organisers on 2 April, a contract signed on 23 April and the two sides “continued to confirm the details of the venue and operation under the name” until 10 June, when it was abruptly changed.

The ministry, which highlighted Taiwan’s “unique international situation”, accused the biennial of choosing to “resort to political censorship, disregarding all… contracts and other agreements” and said it did not “rule out taking necessary action” should the name Taiwan Pavilion not be used.

The statement continued: “Gwangju… should respect the fact that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country [and] must understand that no country should intervene and suppress other countries in any way.” 

Though Taiwan has its own constitution and democratically elected leaders, it is not recognised as a sovereign nation by the United Nations, and its participation in international organisations and events has long been opposed by China, which considers the island to be a breakaway province that will eventually be under Beijing’s control.

Chen, curator of the Taiwanese project, told Ocula: “The artists and I are deeply regretful that this censorship happened in South Korea—a country with frequent collaborations with Taiwan—and especially in Gwangju, a city whose spirit is defined by democracy and freedom. We also feel our trust has been betrayed.”

In a public statement shared on 15 August, Chen and the presentation’s nine artists, Chang Wen-Hsuan, Chen Wan-Yin, Cheng Hsien-Yu, Hsu Che-Yu, Li Yi-Fan, Lin Yu-Liang, Poyuan Juan, Su Hui-Yu and Ting-Ting Cheng, demanded that the biennale “explain why participants’ right to name and identify themselves must be subjected to political restrictions”. They also strongly condemned the “political censorship of an art exhibition”.

“Major powers are increasingly using diplomatic pressure and economic resources to interfere beyond their borders,” the statement continued. “The erasure of the Taiwan Pavilion in Gwangju is neither exceptional nor likely to be an isolated case.

“This goes beyond the removal of a name. It is a threat to freedom of expression and to the global artistic community.”

In its own statement, the biennale underlined its “values of democracy and freedom of expression”, and said its pavilion programming supports “a platform where diverse contemporary issues and voices can be freely discussed through art”.

Seeking a resolution

According to both Chen and Taiwan’s department of culture, political figures from the country’s ministry of foreign affairs and representatives of NTMoFA have sought a resolution with the biennial. 

While the culture ministry claims not to have received a response, the biennial’s organisers told Ocula that they hoped the matter “will be discussed with the participating institution in a constructive and collaborative manner, based on the facts”.

“The Gwangju Biennale Foundation will continue to respect the autonomy of all participants and operate the Pavilion project fairly, in accordance with its agreements and procedures,” the foundation’s statement added.

The debate is complicated by the way the Gwangju Biennale’s pavilion programme is framed. The 2026 open call invited both “countries and institutions” to apply and described participants as coming from “diverse national backgrounds”. 

The latest promotional poster similarly lists its 28 pavilions using a mix of national designations—including China, Austria and Brazil—and institutional names such as Casa Wabi and Casino Luxembourg.

In the statement, biennial organisers explained that institutions participating as national pavilions are required to submit an official letter of approval for national-pavilion participation issued by the relevant embassy or ministry of culture.

According to the statement, NTMoFA proceeded with its participation as an institution and entered into an exhibition agreement with the Biennale Foundation in that capacity on 12 January, and has as such been identified by its institutional name.

Variations in language

The naming of Taiwan’s participation has previously varied by language. During the 2021 edition, the Gwangju Biennale’s official Korean-language media release referred to the presentation organised by Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab as the Taiwan Pavilion, while its English-language materials identified the institution without explicitly using this designation.

Yet the term Taiwan Pavilion is not absent from contemporary Korean usage. More recently, South Korean media used the phrase when reporting on the Venice Biennale, and on Korean artist Eunjoo Hong’s participation in its opening performance programme.

Founded in 1995, the Gwangju Biennale was established to commemorate the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, in which citizens rose up against South Korea’s military dictatorship. Over the following three decades, the exhibition has developed an explicit connection to democracy, human rights and civic resistance.

The biennial’s pavilion programming was launched in 2018; it is an accompanying set of international presentations staged across cultural venues throughout the city, independently of the main exhibition. This year, the central show, You Must Change Your Life, is curated by artistic director Ho Tzu Nyen with Park Gahee, Brian Kuan Wood and Che Kyongfa, and runs from 5 September to 15 November.