The 2024 Busan Biennale, titled “Seeing in the Dark,” opened on Saturday with a bold exploration of resistance, liberation, and diversity. The event, featuring works from 60 artists across 32 countries, presents a thought-provoking alternative to conventional narratives by drawing inspiration from the self-governing pirate societies of 18th-century Madagascar and Buddhist teachings.
One of the striking installations is “Memedi Sawah/Scarecrow Installation” by the Indonesian art collective Taring Padi. Located on the first floor of the Busan Museum of Contemporary Art, this piece tackles the socio-political unrest linked to a rice price surge in Indonesia. The installation includes bags of rice placed before a painting of an angry mob, accompanied by protest songs. The powerful work echoes the struggles against oppression, drawing a line between the past and present.
Facing Taring Padi’s installation is a series of portraits by South Korean artist Yun Suk-nam, dedicated to female independence fighters. Yun, who took up painting after encountering a self-portrait by the Joseon Dynasty artist Yun Du-seo, has created 63 portraits that celebrate these women’s defiance against tyranny. Though separated by time and place, Yun’s work and Taring Padi’s installation both fervently depict the universal struggle for individual freedom.
The Busan Biennale takes place across four venues—Busan Museum of Contemporary Art, Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum, Hanseong 1918, and Choryang House—with the Busan Museum of Contemporary Art hosting the majority of the works. Among the standout pieces is “Avalokiteshvara and Mary-The Truth Has Never Left My Side,” a Buddhist painting by Songcheon, and “Waves of Wreckage” by Jeong Eu-gene, a sculpture resembling a wrecked ship. These works embody the exhibition’s dual themes of Buddhism and piracy, serving as metaphors for spiritual and social liberation.
The Biennale also sets itself apart by its focus on Southeast Asian artists, distinguishing it from similar events in Europe and the U.S. Many of these artists delve deeply into the political and social issues of their regions. Notably, curators Vera Mey and Philippe Pirotte, who previously exhibited in Germany with a focus on the Bandung Conference—an event pivotal in the formation of the Third World post-Cold War—bring their expertise to Busan. They aim to explore ways to transcend the lingering effects of colonialism and the Cold War.
Through its diverse and challenging exhibits, the 2024 Busan Biennale invites visitors to reflect on the complexities of resistance, the pursuit of freedom, and the enduring power of art to question and inspire.
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