Gwangju Biennale overcomes politics, restores Taiwan Pavilion name.

In what is being hailed as an encouraging cultural diplomacy achievement for an internationally acclaimed South Korean art event, the Gwangju Biennale Foundation, organizer of the prestigious Gwangju Biennale, has officially announced that it will restore the official name "Taiwan Pavilion." All future official promotional materials and documents will explicitly bear the designation "Taiwan Pavilion." In response, Taiwan's Ministry of Culture issued a public statement on the 26th, immediately expressing high praise and a warm welcome, while extending its utmost respect and gratitude to artists who have long worked quietly on the international art stage, maintained their self-identity, and spoken up for Taiwan, demonstrating the resilient and unwavering spirit of Taiwan's cultural community when facing international geopolitical pressures.

The backdrop of this development stems from naming disputes and political maneuvering frequently encountered in international art exhibitions. For a long time, Taiwanese contemporary artists participating in major international biennials, triennials, and art fairs have often been forced to compromise on pavilion names—or even had them altered or labeled with designations inconsistent with Taiwan's official stance—due to host countries' geopolitical considerations. As one of Asia's most iconic contemporary art platforms, the Gwangju Biennale has similarly faced analogous adjustments and obfuscations of names in the past. However, Taiwan's art community and cultural workers chose not to remain silent or compromise; instead, through continuous creative strength, professional dialogue, and deep cultivation within international curatorial networks, they persistently fought for the dignity and correct recognition they deserve, ultimately prompting the Gwangju Biennale Foundation to make the decision to rectify the name.

Upon learning of the news, the Ministry of Culture pointed out that the vitality of Taiwanese contemporary art has never been able to be overlooked. The restoration of the "Taiwan Pavilion" name at this year's Gwangju Biennale is not merely a change of nomenclature, but the highest respect paid to the professional achievements and subjectivity of Taiwanese artists. The Ministry emphasized that while art transcends borders, an artist's creative background and national identity form the crucial foundation for shaping a unique cultural vocabulary. Over the years, Taiwan's government and private cultural institutions have continuously joined forces to support outstanding artists and curators in stepping onto the world stage, establishing an irreplaceable professional image in the international art world. It is this long-accumulated trust and quality that has allowed international organizers to recognize the substantive value of Taiwanese art, subsequently leading them to make factual corrections in their administration and official promotional materials.

Founded in 1995 to commemorate the Gwangju democratization movement of the 1980s, the Gwangju Biennale's core spirit emphasizes human rights, democracy, freedom, and social justice—values that strongly resonate with Taiwan's modern historical development and the universal values concerned by contemporary art. Over the past few decades, many Taiwanese artists have been repeatedly invited to participate in various core exhibitions and projects of the Gwangju Biennale, engaging in profound dialogues with international curators and global audiences through diverse mediums such as installation art, video works, and performance art. The restoration of the official "Taiwan Pavilion" name not only clarifies Taiwan's visibility on the international cultural map, but also paves a more dignified path for more Taiwanese art workers to showcase their talents on the international stage in the future.

From a broader cultural strategic perspective, this name-restoration event highlights the critical role cultural diplomacy plays in Taiwan's overall foreign relations. In a realistic environment where formal diplomatic channels are frequently suppressed, culture and art often become the soft power that breaks through blockades and builds international friendships. Taiwanese artists have won the respect of their peers in the international art world through their exquisite creative techniques and acute observations of the times, and this bottom-up professional recognition has ultimately transformed into concrete administrative decisions. The Ministry of Culture stated that it will continue to serve as the strongest backing for Taiwanese artists, sparing no effort in resource investment, international co-production, and rights protection, ensuring that Taiwan's contemporary art energy continues to shine brightly around the world.