March 29, 2002 15:46
The fourth annual Gwangju Biennale opened its doors to the public Friday and under the theme, "Pause," organizers say this year's show brings a temporary and reflective halt to the hectic pace of the 21st century life. The exhibition, one of the world's top five biennales, features works by 330 artists hailing from 33 different countries and exhibitions are divided into four categories.
The festival promises to showcase the power and spirit of both Asian and European art. Workshops and film screenings among other events will be held on the streets just outside the exhibition halls to encourage visitor participation. Some 100,000 tickets have already been sold for the event, which runs until June 29 in the southwestern city of Gwangju, South Jeolla Province.
The opening ceremony was held at Gwangju Culture and Arts Center with some 2,000 celebrities and artists attending, and President Kim Dae-jung sent a video message celebrating the event, expressing his wish that Gwangju's tradition could contribute in the love, harmony, and peace of mankind.
The UNESCO Prize was awarded at the opening ceremony to Kim Se-jin of Korea, Surasi Kusolwon of Thailand, and Ruangrupa of Indonesia, with US$7,000 prize money. Ju Jae-hwan, who entered "Project 1" won a special award.
(From Gwangju, Kim Seong-hyeon, shkim@chosun.com)
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