Meeting Seoul 100 Years Later... Seoul Urban Architecture Biennale Opens

Exhibitions, Academic, and Participation Events Until October 29

Seoul becomes a vast architectural culture exhibition hall. The 4th Seoul Urban Architecture Biennale, featuring architecture-related exhibitions, academic events, and citizen participation programs packed over 59 days, is finally set to open after more than two years of preparation. This year’s theme, “City of Land, Architecture of Land,” aims to envision Seoul’s appearance 100 years from now together with its citizens.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 30th that the opening ceremony of the 4th Seoul Urban Architecture Biennale will be held on the 1st of next month at Yeollin Songhyeon Green Square. Starting with the exhibition opening on the 1st and the opening forum on the 2nd, a variety of programs will be held until October 29 at Yeollin Songhyeon Green Square, the Seoul Urban Architecture Exhibition Hall, and Seoul City Hall (Citizen Hall).

At the opening ceremony, a dance performance titled “Path of Harmony,” symbolizing communication and harmony originating from the land and the history of the Songhyeon-dong site, which has been closed for 110 years, will be presented. Architecture, as a horizontal mediator connecting the four directions and people, will be expressed through dance and performances such as hip-hop (Dynamic Duo) and B-boy performances.

From the 2nd, the day after the opening, an opening forum and roundtable will be held in succession. Anyone can participate by pre-registering through the Seoul Public Service Reservation system or by registering on-site. The forum will also be broadcast live on the official Seoul City YouTube channel and the Seoul Urban Architecture Biennale YouTube channel.

This year’s event, being the first Seoul Biennale held outdoors, will offer various citizen participation programs utilizing both indoor and outdoor spaces. Ongoing programs include ▲exhibition docent tours ▲stamp tours ▲“No Idea,” a program for zoning out at sunset and stargazing at night. Additionally, lectures that explore the event’s theme from new perspectives, urban architecture experience programs, and film screenings will also be held.

The 4th Seoul Urban Architecture Biennale consists of five exhibitions in total. This year, with the largest number of participating artists to date, it will present viewing elements that combine diverse technologies and ideas, offering a unique experience.

The must-see thematic exhibition “City of Land, Architecture of Land” features works by 19 domestic and international artists from Korea, Spain, Norway, the Netherlands, and more, including Rizvi Hassan, winner of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture; Studio Waroofila, nominee for the UK Ashden Award; and Choi Wook, recipient of the Italian Order of Merit and the DFAA Asia Design Award.

The “Seoul 100-Year Master Plan Exhibition,” which systematically utilizes advanced technology and data while connecting natural elements in the urban environment to present a blueprint for an “eco-friendly high-density city,” will be held at the Seoul Urban Architecture Exhibition Hall and Our Gallery (the passage connecting the exhibition hall to Seoul City Hall). It will showcase typology exhibitions by 40 teams selected through an international competition and research outcomes from 13 invited artist teams.

Han Byung-yong, Director of the Seoul Housing Policy Office, said, “This year, the 4th Seoul Urban Architecture Biennale and the 15th Seoul Architecture Culture Festival will open together, offering even more diverse exhibitions and programs. We hope citizens will show great interest and participation over the next two months.” He added, “Through this event, we hope ‘architecture’ will be understood not simply as a technology but as a mediator that connects the divided land and people.”

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