Gwangju Biennale to Close Saturday

The 2002 Gwangju Biennale will come to an end with a closing ceremony at the Gwangju Arts Hall on June 29. Some 2,000 people will participate in the afternoon event, including Mayor Koh Jae-yoo and Biennale Chairman Kim Po-cheon, as well as residents and biennale personnel.

The closing ceremony will include a performance by the 50 strong "Mudeung Soloists Ensemble," led by Professor Choi Deok-sik of Gwangju University, who will play Korean folk songs, popular songs, opera and other genres.

This year's biennale began on March 29 with 325 artists from 31 countries participating under the theme, "Pause." There were four project exhibitions and various cultural festivals.

The biennale’s original theme attracted young art groups from various countries and used the space within the exhibition as well as other places in the city such as the Freedom Park. The new attempt to use the entire city as an exhibition hall was favorably commented on.

As of June 23, the number of visitors to the 2002 Gwangju Biennale were 39,116 foreigners and 541,589 Koreans.

(Kim Sung-hyun, shkim@chosun.com)