Week9

2018 Gwang-Ju Biennale

The part of the army of Gwangju hospital was filled with the pain and scars of Gwangju and overwhelmed me with the feeling that the scene itself gave me. However, the fact that 5.18 has not yet been clarified is the ongoing Gwangju wounds. GB Commission - The historic site of the Gwangju Democratization Movement, such as the former National Army Gwangju Hospital, is the only monumental place in Gwangju. Installation work utilizing this place was quite meaningful even if we excluded the connection with the theme, and it was seen as a good attempt to take advantage of the opportunity of Biennale.

The five exhibition halls in this exhibition center are centered on the keyword 'boundary', the point of conflict between the power that emerges in the mirage of national development and the physical boundary between the countries, the problem of migration and refugees that occurred between them, It has also highlighted the current situation of infiltration into the cyber space of the Internet. Subordinate sub-themes are arranged in three dimensions in line with the times and phenomena. As many curators were dedicated to individual subjects, they were structured in a multi - layered structure, and each sub - topic was examined in detail. There were disadvantages. Like the limit of the pages of the pages of the book, there was no work to cover the whole exhibition hall, no visual overwhelming feeling, or a centerpiece. In particular, interviews and archival video work accounted for 36 of the total 73 exhibits. Photographs, paintings, and sculptures also had many record-breaking works. Thanks to this, the nature of the art festival weakened and the feeling of documentary was strong. I felt like I was on a trip to study about modern history and international affairs rather than art exhibitions.

The atmosphere of the National Asian Cultural Complex was different. Many domestic artists have actively tried installation works. Thanks to this, it was an environment where we could communicate, sympathize and enjoy. However, there were a lot of materials that seemed to be somewhat deviated from the theme of the exhibition limited to 'the border between countries'. For example, the boundary between human beings and nature, the boundary between individuals and individuals, and even the boundaries of the social environment, deal with prostitution. This ambiguity confused me.