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.
2008 SEUNG-TAEK LEE
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관리자 2009-08-27 16:50
In 1950, the year Korean War broke out, LEE, Seung-taek came to south from the deadly ground in north. After the rejection from the Second National Art Exhibition with his experimental work during his school years in 1955, LEE had a long and lonely years as an outside artist. Since then he continued to work on experimental works, referred as "post-materialistic sculpture", on the subjects of smoke, fire, wind, water, and land. LEE is recognized as one of significant pioneer of Korean contemporary art.
Art critiques in Korea's contemporary art world ask for the re-evaluation of the Korean contemporary art, and LEE Seung-taek is in the center of the attention. As an experimental artist, he has continuously broke away from the conventional norms and systems of art world and led the changes in Korean contemporary art through challenging approaches. He has established a significant aesthetical achievement through his own 'im-materialization‘ method.
- Ha Yong Sok