Gwangju Biennale restores ‘Taiwan Pavilion’ name following dispute

The Gwangju Biennale Foundation has agreed to restore the name ‘Taiwan Pavilion’ for its upcoming 16th edition, resolving a dispute that threatened to disrupt the exhibition. The controversy arose after the foundation changed the designation from ‘Taiwan Pavilion’ to ‘NTMoFA Pavilion’ (referring to the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts), a move that triggered protests from Taiwanese artists, curators, and the Ministry of Culture in Taiwan.

Taiwanese officials and art groups had accused the organizers of political censorship, while the foundation maintained the change was a matter of administrative classification between national pavilions and institutional pavilions. The dispute caused significant delays in the arrival and installation of artworks at the National Asia Culture Center.

Following formal protests and the threat of withdrawal by Taiwan, the foundation approved the request to use ‘Taiwan Pavilion’ in official documents and promotional materials. This decision allows the installation of works to resume ahead of the Biennale’s opening on September 5.