This year, the Gwangju Biennale is titled: The Eighth Climate (What does art do?). With the reference of “eighth climate,” which can be described as a world of visionary, spiritual and immaterial qualities, the works presented will explore art as a social-scientific medium. The artists, who have spent time in Gwangju participating in different projects together with local communities, will be responding to the question of, “What does art do?” Fernando Garcia-Dory, an artist who is based in Madrid and Berlin, was in Gwangju this past April for his research and visited Hansaebong Dure, a community that practices open-field cultivation. Through his art, he asks questions about Gwangju’s environment and ecosystem, such as: “Can artists predict social changes first and do something for the future?” You will be able to see works by 119 artists from 37 different countries and also learn about meaningful programs that have been produced through their artistic collaborations.
