Gwangju Biennale art to be introduced in textbooks

The 8th Gwangju Biennale will be introduced in Korean art textbooks starting next year, the festival’s organizers said yesterday.

Kyohak Publishing, a textbook and educational reference-book publisher, aims to help students in high school truly appreciate art events by carrying a section on the biennale’s history, meaning and ways to enjoy it. It will also include a guide for students to decide their own trajectory through the exhibition.

The contemporary art festival, which started Sept. 3 and ends Nov. 7 in Gwangju, displays works by 134 artists from 31 countries under the theme “10,000 Lives.” The title is derived from an epic poem written by Korean poet Ko Un, which depicts the struggles of grassroots movements and people in Korean history. The biennale was launched in 1995 as a tribute to those who fought for democracy in 1980.

The publisher plans to present some of the works on display in textbooks and update the content with new material starting with the next show in 2012.

“It is meaningful in that the true meaning and cultural, artistic values of the Gwangju Biennale can be brought to light once more through the textbook,” said a Gwangju Biennale official.

Yonhap