# Busan Biennale

The Busan Biennale is a biannual international contemporary art show held in Busan, South Korea. Busan Biennale is held in even-numbered years, and is hosted by Busan metropolitan city and Busan Biennale Organizing Committee.

## Exhibition history

The Busan Biennale is a biannual international contemporary art show that integrated three different art events held in the city in 1998: the Busan Youth Biennale, the first Biennale of Korea that was voluntarily organized by local artists in 1981; the Sea Art Festival, an environmental art festival launched in 1987 with the sea serving as a backdrop; and the Busan Outdoor Sculpture Symposium that was first held in 1991. The Biennale was previously called the Pusan International Contemporary Art Festival (PICAF) before it launched.
Furthermore, rather than simply adhere to the white cube but chose unexpected places including culturally backward regions and old industry facilities as exhibition halls, Busan Biennale illuminates Busan city and contributes balanced development within Busan.
In the example at the top, KISWIRE Suyeong factory (it is called ‘F1963’ currently) being used for special exhibition hall and main exhibition hall for Busan Biennale 2014 and Busan Biennale 2016 respectively. As of today, F1963 branded itself as one of the most famous culture complexes in Busan. Also, it is considered as a model case of urban regeneration.
| Year | Period | Venue | Director | Theme | Note |
| 2002 | Sep.15~Nov.22 (69days) | Busan Museum of Modern Art, Haeundae Beach, Asiad Sculpture Plaza, etc | Airyung Kim (Independent Curator) | Culture Meets Culture | |
| 2004 | May 22~Oct.31 (163days) | Busan Museum of Modern Art, Haeundae Beach, Eulsukdo Sculpture park, etc | Tae Man Choi (Professor, Kookmin University) | Chasm | |
| 2006 | Sep.16~Nov.25 (71days) | Busan Museum of Modern Art, Haeundae Beach, APEC Naru park, etc | Manu D. Park (Art Critic & Independent Curator) | Everywhere | |
| 2008 | Sep.6~Nov.15 (71days) | Busan Museum of Modern Art, Gwangalli Beach, APEC Naru park, etc | Won Bang Kim (Professor, Hongik University) | Expenditure | |
| 2010 | Sep.11~Nov.20 (71days) | Busan Museum of Modern Art, Busan Yachting Center, Gwangalli Beach, Busan Cultural Center, etc | Azumaya Takashi (Independent Curator) | Living in Evolution | |
| 2012 | Sep.22~Nov.24 (64days) | Busan Museum of Modern Art, Busan Yachting Center, Gwangalli Beach, Busan Cultural Center, etc | Roger M. Buergel (Independent Curator) | Garden of Learning | Separated from the Sea Art Festival and became an independent festival. |
| 2014 | Sep.20~Nov.22 (64days) | Busan Museum of Art, Busan Cultural Center, KISWIRE Sooyoung Factory, etc | Olivier Kaeppelin (Director, Fondation Maeght) | Inhabiting the World | |
| 2016 | Sep.3~Nov.30 (89 days) | Busan Museum of Art, F1963 (KISWIRE Suyeong Factory) | Yun Cheagab (Director, the How Art Museum) | Hybridizing Earth, Discussing Multitude | Launched an online platform in collaboration with Google |
| 2018 | Sep.8~Nov.11 (65 days) | Museum of Contemporary Art Busan, former Bank of Korea in Busan | Cristina Ricupero (Independent Curator), Jörg Heiser (Art Critic) | Divided We Stand | |
| 2020 | Sep.5~Nov.8 (65 days) | Museum of Contemporary Art Busan, Yeongdo Harbor, Old town (Jungang-daero) | Jacob Fabricius (Artistic Director of the Kunsthal Aarhus, Board member of the Danish Arts foundation's committee) | Words at an Exhibition - an exhibition in ten chapters and five poems | |
| 2022 | Sep.3~Nov.6 (65 days) | Museum of Contemporary Art Busan, Pier 1 of Busan Port, Yeongdo, Choryang | Haeju Kim (Deputy director at Art Sonje Center, Researcher at National Theater Company of Korea, Assistant curator at Nam June Paik Art Center) | We, on the Rising Wave |
| 2024 | Aug.17~Oct.20 (65 days) | Busan Museum of Contemporary Art, Busan Modern & Contemporary History Museum, HANSUNG1918, Choryang House | Vera Mey & Philippe Pirotte | Seeing in the Dark | |