The Global Ceramic Festival 'Gyeonggi World Ceramic Biennale' Opens on October 1

Until November 28, Abundant Events in 3 Areas Including Gwangju, Yeoju, and Icheon
This Year, Considering COVID-19, Admission Fees Will Not Be Charged for the First Time in 20 Years

[Asia Economy (Gwangju) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] The Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale (KICB) will open on October 1.

The Korea Ceramic Foundation announced on the 30th that the 11th '2021 Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale (KICB)' will be held simultaneously offline and online from October 1 to November 28 at the Icheon Gyeonggi Ceramic Museum, Yeoju Gyeonggi Living Ceramic Museum, and Gwangju Gyeonggi Ceramic Museum under the theme 'Re:Start'.

Through this biennale, the Korea Ceramic Foundation plans to reflect on the past 20 years of the Gyeonggi Ceramic Biennale, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and examine the role and meaning of ceramics in the 'post-COVID' era, delivering a message of healing and hope through artistic contributions. This year, for the first time since the event began, admission fees will not be charged to visitors exhausted by COVID-19.

The biennale consists of various events including the representative exhibition event, the international competition, the Netherlands national invitation exhibition commemorating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and the Netherlands, a solo exhibition by Tip Toland, the grand prize winner of the 2019 international competition, and exhibition, academic, and participatory online programs.

The international competition held at the Icheon Gyeonggi Ceramic Museum received 2,503 works from 1,184 artists from 70 countries. The Korea Ceramic Foundation finalized 76 selected works, including 6 prize-winning pieces, after the first round of online image screening and the second round of on-site judging.

The Gold Prize was awarded to 'Fragmented Framing' by American artist Darien Arikoski-Johnson and 'Homunculus-LR' by Taiwanese artist Ming-Shun Cho. The Silver Prize went to Korean artist Joo Se-kyun's 'Tracing Drawing Series #2021-1', and the Bronze Prize was awarded to American artist Susan Beiner's 'Bounded Fragility'.

No Grand Prize was awarded as no work met the criteria in this judging.

In addition, the Korea Ceramic Foundation is hosting the national invitation exhibition 'Stories Beyond the Sea: Today’s Dutch Contemporary Ceramics' to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and the Netherlands. This event is co-hosted by the European Ceramic Work Centre (EKWC), a leading European ceramic center, featuring 60 Dutch artists presenting representative works reflecting 60 years of Dutch contemporary ceramic trends and characteristics. Also prepared are a solo exhibition by Tip Toland, who won the grand prize in the 2019 international competition with the work 'Annoyance', and a children's exhibition titled 'Again, Clay-Sand-Gravel'.

At the Yeoju Gyeonggi Living Ceramic Museum, a special exhibition titled 'Recovery - Drawing Space' will be held, showcasing works by local ceramic artists participating in the Gyeonggi Ceramic Online Fair, with the option to purchase works directly through Naver Smart Store. Additionally, the children's exhibition 'House for Little Artists', centered around the Ceramic House and composed of various ceramic works and objets, awaits visitors.

At the Gwangju Gyeonggi Ceramic Museum, 62 works including blue-and-white porcelain, scholar’s desk screens, and media art pieces will be exhibited, with the special exhibition 'Cobalt Blue', introducing the ceramic appreciation and culture of late Joseon Dynasty literati, held simultaneously online and offline.

Furthermore, online programs enabling educational and exhibition experiences such as 'Academic Programs', 'International Video Contest', 'Online Voting for the International Competition Popular Award', and 'Online Supporters Activities' are also prepared. All exhibitions of the Gyeonggi Ceramic Biennale can be viewed through the online platform (kicb.or.kr).

Visiting hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from October 1 to November 28. The venues are closed every Monday, but will operate normally on substitute holidays (October 4 and 11) and will be closed the following days, October 5 and 12.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.