Gwangju Biennale 2026 will explore the transformative potential of art

Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen speaks at a press conference on Friday in Seoul. (Courtesy of Gwangju Biennale Foundation)

The Gwangju Biennale 2026 will explore transformation through art under the theme “You Must Change Your Life,” led by Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen as artistic director.

The title is inspired by the closing line of Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke’s poem “Archaic Torso of Apollo.” In the 1908 poem, the fragment of an ancient sculpture confronts the viewer with an intense emotional force, ultimately calling for a transformation of one’s life.

Drawing from this idea, the upcoming edition will reflect on the role of art in responding to the multiple crises and uncertainties shaping contemporary society.

“Few cities embody the ideals and the experience of change more powerfully than Gwangju, whose history of democratic struggle continues to resonate globally. Here, change is not abstract — it is lived history,” said Artistic Director Ho Tzu Nyen in a press release.

The exhibition will approach change not only as a dramatic historical rupture but also as a process unfolding quietly in everyday life.

Known as one of Asia’s most prestigious art biennales, the event’s 16th edition will run for 72 days from Sept. 5 to Nov. 15. This year’s exhibition is expected to feature 45 artists from 20 countries — the smallest number in its history — as organizers adopt a more concentrated format to allow deeper engagement with each artist’s practice, according to the Gwangju Biennale Foundation.

Rather than simply presenting individual works, the biennale's main exhibition will focus on a smaller group of artists to show how their artistic practices have developed and continued over time.

The previous edition, marking the biennale’s 30th anniversary, was directed by French curator and critic Nicolas Bourriaud under the theme “Pansori, a soundscape of the 21st century.”