May Spirit on Display in Venice for 222 Days

Gwangju Biennale Foundation closes to where the flowers are blooming, a special exhibition commemorating the May 18th Democratization Movement

Well received by major media...draws a diverse array of visitors.

A venue for sharing the Gwangju spirit is established as related educational programs are conducted.

An MOU will be signed with environmental organization We Are Here Venice

The Gwangju Biennale Foundation wrapped up a highly successful 222-day run of to where the flowers are blooming, which opened in Venice last April. The special exhibition elicits the assessment to the contemporary age regarding the value of democracy based on the "Gwangju Spirit," while aesthetically shedding new light on the May 18th Democratization Movement. Gwangju Biennale Foundation President Park Yang-woo said: "The May 18th Democratization Movement Special Exhibition reminds us of the spirit in which the Gwangju Biennale was founded in 1994 and opens for the 14th time in 2023, contributing significantly to the history of art both in Korea specifically as well as in the world generally. Meanwhile, this special exhibition was on display for the duration of the Venice Biennale, serving as a venue for establishing a consensus in international society and for generating social action through art."

Closing to great acclaim, drawing a diverse audience over 222 days

The Gwangju Biennale Foundation marked the 40th anniversary of the May 18th Democratization Movement by organizing a special exhibition dedicated to that historic event. The exhibition was shown at the Spazio Berlendis art space in Venice, Italy throughout the nearly seven-month run of the 59th Venice Biennale, between April 20 and November 27, 2022.

The title to where the flowers are blooming was taken from the name of the sixth (and final) chapter of Han Kang's novel Human Acts, set in Gwangju during the anti-government protests that broke out on May 18, 1980. This title focused on future-oriented discourse to heal the pain of the May 18 Democratic Movement and show the way forward.

Rather than paint a straightforward picture of the pain suffered by those caught up in the events of the period, the exhibition employs metaphor and restraint to convey to viewers a message of humanism and universal love for humanity. A total of eleven artists, both Korean and non-Korean, took part in the project.

During its run, the exhibition attracted a wide range of viewers, including University of British Columbia Korean Studies Professor Don Baker; representatives from the Han Nefkens Foundation; the Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Milan; people from the Department of Korean Studies at the Ca' Foscari University of Venice; people from the Department of Museum Studies at the University of Navarra in Spain; a tour group from Columbia University of New York; and representatives from the Metropolitan Museum of New York.

Foreign art media repeatedly selected to where the flowers are blooming as a "must-see" exhibit at the Venice Biennale, confirming the interest that people from around the world have in the May 18th Democratization Movement. It was amongst ARTnews's "10 Non-Biennale Shows to See in Venice" and Ocula magazine listed it in its "Parallel Projects in Venice: Exhibition Highlights" The special exhibition was also mentioned in Italian media such as Arte.it.

A venue for sharing the spirit and value of the May 18th Democratization Movement

The Gwangju Biennale Foundation and the Korean Cultural Institute jointly conducted two educational programs on the exhibition, providing a space to share the spirit and value of the May 18th Democratization Movement. Importantly, an exhibition guide training and practice program was provided to ten selected local university students and Korean expatriates aged twenty and above. During July, these guides interfaced with tourists, helping them to learn about the May 18th Democratization Movement from multiple points of view.

Earlier, a related educational program called "A Conversation with Novelist Han Kang: A Reading from Human Acts" was held on March 31. Thus, the plan has been to link the significance of the May 18th Movement with both art exhibitions and the literary imagination. A total of 216 people participated in the reading online.

In addition, Cescot Veneto, who runs an educational institution and promotes urban renewal and industrial development in Venice, included the to where the flowers are blooming exhibition in its Venice Art Week (November 22-26) tour program covering artworks in the city. The visit to the special exhibition took place on the afternoon of the 25th.

MOU to be signed with environmental organization We Are Here Venice

Holding this special exhibition has enabled the Gwangju Biennale Foundation to establish a new international network over the long term with We Are Here Venice, a local organization dedicated to protecting the Venetian coastal and urban areas.

The MOU signing ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Spazio Berlendis art space on the 29th. The signatories to the agreement expect to generate a synergy effect through ongoing exchanges in both the cultural and arts area as well as in ecology and environmental protection.

We Are Here Venice Executive Director Jane da Mosto said: "The special exhibition on the May 18th Democratization Movement visualized in high detail and echoed in depth the thirst for democratization, a sentiment shared by people around the world, along with the sadness and love for humanity related to it. I hope that our building a network with the Gwangju Biennale Foundation, which organized this exhibit, will allow us to work together on cultural and art issues going forward and ponder the climate and environmental problems all people now face."