Korean Pavilion at Venice to Present "Liberated Space"... Han Kang Adds a Dimension of Mourning

Artistic Director Choi Bitna Announces 2026 Biennale Exhibition Plan
"Liberated Space: Fortress and Nest"
Capturing Both Bottlenecks and the Sense of Recovery
Reflecting Korean Societal Concerns After Martial Law

The central concept of the Korean Pavilion exhibition at the 61st Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition, unveiled on March 19, 2026, was "Liberated Space." At the press conference held that day, Artistic Director Choi Bitna revealed the exhibition's title as "Liberated Space: Fortress and Nest," stating that liberation would not be treated as a fixed historical event of the past, but rather as an ongoing state that must continue to be constructed and reimagined in the present.

Choi Bitna, Artistic Director of the Korean Pavilion, is holding a briefing on the 61st International Art Exhibition of the 2026 Venice Biennale Korean Pavilion exhibition on the 19th at Arko Art Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Director Choi cited the emergency martial law situation from last winter, the ensuing time in the public square, and the conflicts and anxieties that have traversed Korean society as the starting point for this project. She emphasized that liberation is not a state that has already been achieved, but rather a communal task that must continuously be created and renewed.

The stage for this project is the Korean Pavilion in Venice’s Giardini. For a long time, the Korean Pavilion has been regarded as limited due to its small size, unique architectural structure, and ambiguous location. However, Director Choi does not see these conditions as mere weaknesses. She intends to use the pavilion’s physical characteristics—its composite structure, sensitivity to external environments due to glass walls, and its positioning between the Japanese and German pavilions where its existence is revealed only upon closer approach—as the very starting point for this exhibition.

The subtitle "Fortress and Nest" also originates from this context. A fortress, which implies a sense of defense and boundary, and a nest, a place of rest and nurturing, coexist within a single space. Rather than establishing the Korean Pavilion as a symbol of nationalism, Director Choi suggested it would be treated more as a temporary monument, where conflict, mourning, memory, and recovery overlap. The aim is to view liberation not as a declaration of victory, but as an incomplete process—one in which attempts at reconnection are made even amid clashing positions and emotions.

Author Ko Eun Choi is introducing her work at the 2026 Venice Biennale 61st International Art Exhibition Korea Pavilion exhibition briefing held on the 19th at Arko Art Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The exhibition also introduced the concepts behind the works of participating artists Choi Goeun and Noh Hyeri. Choi Goeun explained, "I am envisioning an installation that traverses the boundaries inside and outside the Korean Pavilion and the Giardini, reopening halted flows." She described her work as reviving spaces and structures that have ceased to function. Artist Noh Hyeri stated, "I am preparing a work that uses transparent materials and structures resembling thin membranes to slow down the pace at which viewers move through the interior of the Korean Pavilion, encouraging them to experience the space with their bodies."

A notable aspect of the curatorial plan is that, while the exhibition discusses "Liberated Space," it raises the question of whether visitors will first feel a sense of confinement, delay, and hesitation rather than openness in the actual exhibition. In response, the artist explained that "the delay itself is an intentional strategy." Rather than having visitors immediately grasp the message, the intention is to first create a bodily sense and a duration of lingering. Instead of presenting liberation as a proclamation, the approach is to have visitors pass through a reality from which one cannot easily escape.

This explanation succinctly captures the nature of the Korean Pavilion's concept. "Liberated Space: Fortress and Nest" is less an exhibition that foregrounds optimism about liberation, and more a project that asks how to reimagine communities after conflict, amidst lingering bottlenecks and unresolved sensations of un-liberation. For Director Choi, liberation is not the result but the process itself—not a conclusion, but a matter of ongoing persistence.

Bearing-2026-Orlando Thompson-courtesy 2026 Korean Pavilion-2. Photo by Korea Arts & Culture Committee

The Korean Pavilion project will not be confined solely to the exhibition space. An expanded structure has been announced, incorporating a fellowship program, collected works, and networking activities alongside the exhibition. The inaugural fellows include Kim Hooju, Lee Rang, Han Kang, Hwang Yeji, and Christian Nyampeta. Among them, Han Kang will participate with a sculptural piece titled "Funeral," which will be displayed together with Noh Hyeri's "Mourning Station." Noh explained, "It is a visual representation of the opening scene from 'I Do Not Bid You Farewell,'" adding that her own sculpture and Han Kang’s work will be exhibited as if they are one body. While Han Kang's attendance at the opening ceremony has yet to be confirmed, she has indicated her intention to participate in the installation process.

Additionally, the fellowship will expand to address the wounds and memories of modern Korean history, as well as the loss and recovery of community, on multiple levels. The plan is to revisit specific moments in Korean society—such as the May 18 Democratic Uprising, the Jeju April 3 Incident, and post-impeachment protests in public squares—through artistic language. Collaboration with the Japanese Pavilion is also being planned, with the aim of experimenting with new forms of engagement between the two neighboring and sometimes tense national pavilions.

The question posed at the briefing session was clear: How can the narrow Korean Pavilion in Venice's Giardini become a "Liberated Space"? Rather than presenting a finished answer, the announcement served as a preview that the pavilion's limitations, bottlenecks, and the very sensibility of forging new relationships within those constraints would be the core language of the exhibition. Attention will be focused next year in Venice on how this concept will be realized in the actual space and in the audience experience.

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