The 16th Gwangju Biennial, opening this fall in South Korea (Sept 5-Nov. 15, 2026), has announced the names of the 40-some artists and groups who will be included in the exhibition. The list was first published by e-flux.
The Biennial’s curator, “fast-rising” Singaporean artist and filmmaker Ho Tzu Nyen, was announced in April 2025. Ho represented Singapore at the 2011 Venice Biennale, and organized the Asian Art Biennial in 2019. The title of Ho’s show, “You Must Change Your Life,” is drawn from the last line of Rainer Maria Rilke sonnet “Archaic Torso of Apollo.” The show focus on the continuous practice of change and transformation.
The inaugural edition of the Gwangju Biennial opened in 1995, and it has become one of the most well-known biennials in Asia. Previous curators have included big names on the international exhibition circuit, among them Okwui Enwezor (2008), Hou Hanru (2002), and Harald Szeemann (2012). For the 16th edition, Ho is working with assistant curators Che Kyongfa, Park Gahee, Brian Kuan Wood, Lee Yein, and Koyuri Sato.
This year’s artists are:
Matthew Barney
Jean Barth
James Benning
Mona Benyamin
Rossella Biscotti
CAMP
Nina Canell
Lygia Clark
Kiri Dalena & Ben Brix
A K Dolven
İnci Eviner
Angela Goh
Goldin+Senneby
Jacqueline Kiyomi Gork
Rafik Greiss
Amanda Heng
Heo Baekryeon (Gwangju Agricultural Technical High School)
James T. Hong
Tehching Hsieh
Sohrab Hura
Saodat Ismailova
Volcanoes of Jeju (Jeju Stone Park)
Jeong Geumhyung
E Roon Kang
Sunik Kim
Július Koller
Daisuke Kosugi
Kwon Byungjun and Park Chan-kyong
Lu Yang
May Mothers House
Melvin Moti
Nam Hwayeon
Christian Nyampeta
Bhenji Ra
Rim Dong Sik and Nature Artist Woo Pyongnam (Jongsun)
Ryu Hankil
Sasaki Ken
Suzuki Akio
Ullimsanbang (Huh Ryeon, Huh Hyeong, Huh Geon, Huh Lim, Huh Moon, Hur Jin)
Wang Jiahao
Wang Tuo
Maya Watanabe
