Gwangju Design Biennale 2009: Clues to Improve Life

The Gwangju Biennale is Asia’s representative contemporary art biennale. Since its founding in 1995, it has established itself as one of the leading large scale global exhibitions and is regarded as a pioneer in curatorial experiments in the field of contemporary art. Internationally as well as regionally in Asia, its impact has been important. Through the support of the Biennale, the city of Gwangju has become a cultural hub for the Korean-Asian world, providing a platform for an expanded interchange of international contemporary art. Gwangju is the largest city in Chollanam-Do province and the sixth largest city in South Korea with a population of 1.4 million. Home to some of the best-preserved cultural relics in the nation, Gwangju has also been called the City of Art, Cuisine and Culture. Gwangju Biennale pays tribute to the “Gwangju Democratization Movement“ (also known as the “Gwangju Massacre“) in May 1980, when citizens tried to restore democracy from military rule, but were met with a brutal military suppression, which resulted in the death of hundreds. The core site of Gwangju Biennale is the Biennale Hall in the Jungoui Park. Previous Biennales went under the titles Beyond the Borders (1995), Unmapping the Earth (1997), Man + Space (2000), Pause (2002), A Drop of Water, A Grain of Dust (2004) and Fever Variations (2006). Annual Report : A year in Exhibitions(2008) www.gb.or.kr