Busan Biennale
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 International Outdoor Sculpture Symposium that was first held in 1991. The biennale was previously called the Pusan International Contemporary Art Festival (PICAF) before it launched.
The biennale has its own unique attribute in that it was formed not out of any political logic or need but rather the pure force of local Busan artists’ will and their voluntary participation. Even to this day their interest in Busan's culture and its experimental nature has been the key foundation for shaping the biennale’s identity.
This biennale is the only one like it in the world that was established through an integration of three types of art events such as a Contemporary Art Exhibition, Sculpture Symposium, and Sea Art Festival. The Sculpture Symposium in particular was deemed to be a successful public art event, the results of which were installed throughout the city and dedicated to revitalizing cultural communication with citizens. The networks formed through the event have assumed a crucial role in introducing and expanding domestic art overseas and leading the development of local culture for globalized cultural communication. Founded 38 years ago, the biennale aims to popularize contemporary art and achieve art in everyday life by providing a platform for interchanging experimental contemporary art.
Busan Port (Young June Lee)
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관리자 2022-12-16 16:35
Machine Critic
Most people know that Busan is Korea’s largest port and the seventh largest in the world—but few of them know what a large expanse of the area it covers or how complex its structure is. It is difficult to get a sense of this even from looking at a map. To begin with, there is not one “Busan Port” but several, including the existing North and South Ports, the New Port that began construction in 2006, and Gamcheon Port, which serves as an important base for the fishing industry. Together, they form something like a living organism that is constantly growing. In the North Port area, Piers 1 to 4 have disappeared, and a redevelopment project is entirely underway. Piers 5 to 8 are all operated by different entities. South Port is smaller in scale than North Port or the New Port, but it is a hub for the seafood industry. South Port is where Korea’s largest fish market, the Busan Cooperative Fish Market, can be found, along with Jagalchi Market, which is well known among tourists. The island of Yeongdo is home to many ship repair and construction businesses, including HJ Shipbuilding & Construction and Dae Sun Shipbuilding. Together with the container terminal, they form an ecosystem for the marine industry. The numbers also offer a glimpse of Busan Port’s enormous scale: in 2020, it processed 57% of Korea’s total cargo exported and imported by sea, along with 75% of container cargo. In 2018 alone, it processed over 20 million containers. Once the North Port redevelopment project is complete, the face of Busan Port is expected to transform markedly with the arrival of an opera hall, yacht marina, waterside park, and exhibition hall.