Busan Biennale 2008

The 2008 Busan Biennale unfolds at the Busan Museum of Modern Art, Gwangalli Beach, and APEC Naru Park between September 6th to November 15th under the theme of "Expenditure." Made up of the Contemporary Art Exhibition, the Sea Art Festival, and the Busan Sculpture Project, the 2008 Busan Biennale will exhibit a distinctive philosophy of "expenditure" and a vivid scene of contemporary art through a variety of artworks including paintings, photographs, videos, installations, outdoor sculptures, etc.

The theme of the 2008 Busan Biennale, "Expenditure," was borrowed from Georges Bataille's discussion. Since it means consumption, release, and exhaustion, and extends into extravagance and reckless expenditure, "expenditure" is a concept contrary to goal-oriented, power-oriented, and phallic economic concepts, such as production, moderation, accumulation, acquisition, regime, control, etc. Though it has political and economic implications, it also has a great deal of implications for the perspectives of aesthetics and cultural criticism. Bataille pointed out that all studies had pursued to understand a society or a culture through the lens of production and accumulation and this had been an attempt to look at the whole from a part of a society or a culture, leading to a half-baked interpretation. According to Bataille, a complete discussion could be produced when we look at a society or a culture through the lenses of spending, consumption, exhaustion, etc., or concepts that are the antipodes of production, accumulation, acquisition, control, etc., that is, concepts employed in existing discussion methods. He asserted that, after all, culture had been maintained through activities deemed meaningless, such as releasing and consuming what was produced and accumulated.

The 2008 Busan Biennale attempts to reinterpret the trends of contemporary art as the aesthetics of "expenditure" through a microscopic lens, as well as to interpret "expenditure" through a macroscopic lens from the perspectives of cultural theories. Differentiating itself from existing biennales, which focus on exhibiting latest art trends "with speed" and "in abundance," the 2008 Busan Biennale seeks to illuminate and predict the latest directions of contemporary art, from paintings to sculptures to videos, under the theme of "expenditure," employing thorough analyses and maintaining critical views.

First, the Contemporary Art Exhibition will unfold at the Busan Museum of Modern Art, Busan Yachting Center, and other places, under the direction of Kim Won-bang, a professor at Hongik University and art critic, exhibiting some 120 works of 100 artists from 20 countries. The Contemporary Art Exhibition, whose theme is "Expenditure, Art, Culture," presents the driver of today's cultural activities through the concept of expenditure, shifting directions from existing production-oriented and appearance-centered values to the disintegration of supernatural values and power of culture.

The Sea Art Festival will be hosted in the Gwangalli Beach, nearby shopping centers, Samik Leports Town, Geumnyeonsan Subway Station, etc. under the direction of Jeon Seung-bo, an independent curator. Some 60 artists from 20 countries will participate in the Festival with 70 artworks. The Sea Art Festival, whose theme is "Voyage Without Boundaries," seems to be in line with the theme of the biennale, "Expenditure," in that the Festival embraces contradiction and paradox as the essence of life, addressing formation and creation.

The Busan Sculpture Project, which is headed by a sculptor Yi Jeong-hyeong, is hosted in APEC Naru Park, inviting 20 works of 20 artists from 15 countries. The theme of the Busan Sculpture Project, "Avant Garden," combined "Avant" from avant-garde with "Garden," which indicates a more private space than a park. Thus, "Avant Garden" implies the intention of transforming everyday spaces into creative ones by combining epistemological and aesthetic notions with ordinary parks.

Busan Biennale 2008 Participating Artists

Eduardo ABAROAE, Maxico Aehee, Korea Doo Jin AHN, Korea Gwangjun AHN, Korea Jae guk AN, Korea Richard ANNELY, U.K Vyacheslav AKHUNOV, Kyrgyzstan Kriti ARORA, India David ASKEVOLD, Canada Nicole AWAI, Trinidad and Tobago Hernan BAS, U.S.A In Soek BAE, Korea Ji Min BAE, Korea Jonghun BAE, Korea Seon Chi BAHK, Korea Jonathan BERGER, U.S.A Oliver BIRCHLER, Switzerland Ross BLECKNER, U.S.A Davin BRAINARD, Netherlands Jesse BRANSFORD, U.S.A Bruce La Bruce, Canada Hua BU, China Vadra CAIVANO, Italy Yeo Chee Kiong, Singapore Wenling CHEN, China Tae Hun CHOE, Korea Cody CHOI, Korea Yea Hee CHOI, Korea Yeon Woo CHOI, Korea Sonja Lillebaek CHRISTENSEN, Denmark Hye Jin CHUNG, Korea Steven CLAYDON, U.K Ronald CORNELISSEN, Netherlands Cesar CORNEJO, Peru Xian Ji CUI, China Sue DE BEER, U.S.A Warn DEFEVER, Netherlands Chrystel EGAL, France Doug FISHBONE, U.K Min Gyeong GAM, Korea Denis GLASER, U.K Kenji GOMI, Japan Wonsuk HAN, Korea Yota HANAZAWA, Japan Lyle Ashton HARRIS, U.S.A Ku Young HEO, Korea Roger HIORNS, U.K Christopher k. HO, U.S.A Hyun Sook HONG, Korea Myung Seop HONG, Korea Soun HONG, Korea Irene HOPPENBERG, Germany Teresa HUBBARD, Switzerland Sook Young HUH, Korea Kenny HUNTER, Scotland Hea Sun HWANG, Korea Juliette JACOBSON, U.S.A Yeo-Ran JE, Korea Lisa JEANNIN, Sweden Rob JOHANNESMA, Netherlands Dong hyun JUNG, Korea Jaeho JUNG, Korea Tellervo KALLEINEN, Finland Kamin, Thailand Yong Myeon KANG, Korea Go KATO, Japan Bharti KHER, India Bumsu KIM, Netherlands Chang Kyum KIM, Korea Dong-Yeon KIM, Korea Gi Young KIM, Korea Hea Sim KIM, Korea Jong Ku KIM, Korea Kira KIM, Korea Kye Hyeon KIM, Korea Mi Ea KIM, Korea Suk KIM, Korea Sun Deuk KIM, Korea Tae Jun KIM, Korea Tai Kyun KIM, Korea Pliver KOCHTA-KALLEINEN, Germany Terence KOH, Canada Dieter KUNZ, Germany Surasi KUSOLWONG, Thailand Philippe LALEU, France Bei Kyoung LEE, Korea Hansu LEE, Korea Hojin LEE, Korea Jin Kyoung LEE, Korea Jong Bin LEE, Korea Jun Yeong LEE, Korea Kyoung Bok LEE, Korea Sang Gill LEE, Korea Sang Woo LEE, Korea Seung-taek LEE, Netherlands Soo Young LEE, Korea Yong-Beak LEE, Korea Guangxin LI, China Ligyung, Korea Ok Sang LIM, Korea Young Sun LIM, Korea Ren LIU, China Wei LIU, China Long March Project, China Nate LOWMAN, U.S.A Lisa LUYTER, U.S.A Christina MACKIE, U.K Victor MAN, Romania Marlene McCARTY, U.S.A Alex McQUILKIN, U.S.A Marilyn MINTER, U.S.A Mioon, Korea Aiko MIYANAGA, Japan Sunju MOON, Korea TV MOORE, Australia Gen MORIMOTO, Japan Yasumasa MORIMURA, Japan Robert MORRIS, U.S.A Ruriko MURAYAMA, Japan Myung Kyu NA, Korea Tetzuya NAKAMURA, Japan Yasuyuki NISHIO, Japan David NOONAN, Austria Eko NUGROHO, Indonesia Yuki OKUMURA, Japan Dennis OPPENHIM, U.S.A Nipan ORANNIWESNA, Thailand Orlan, France Jeong Soon OUM, Korea Christodoulos PANAYIOTOU, Cyprus Gary-Ross PASTRANA, Philippine Chong-Bin PARK, Korea Mi Kyung PARK, Korea Eun Young PARK, Korea Adam PUTNAM, U.S.A Michael RADECKER, Netherlands Rachael RAKENA, New Zealand Kelly RICHARDSON, Canada Porntaweesak RIMSAKUL, Thailand Stefan RINCK, Germany Choong-hyung ROH, Korea Nigel ROLFE, Ireland Roxlee, Philippines Aida RUILOVA, U.S.A Karen RUSSO, Israel Pinaree SANPITAK, Thailand Ilan SANDLER, Canada Larissa SANSOUR, Palestine Martin SASTRE, Uruguay Hiraki SAWA, Japan Sara SCHNADT, U.S.A Andreas SCHULENBURG, Germany S.E.A. PROJECT(Team), Vietnam / Laos / Philippines / Thailand, Joungguk S대, Korea Fiona SHAW, U.K Jim SHAW, U.S.A Jio SHIMIZU, Japan Moo Kyung SHIN, Korea Jeoungeun SHON, Korea Karina SMIGLA-BOBINSKI, Poland Han Sam SON, Korea Mong Joo SON, Korea Blou SOUP, Russia Sam SU MENG_HUNG, Taiwan Prateep SUTHATHONGTHAI, Thailand Koki TANAKA, Japan Philippe TERRIER-HERMAN, France THERKILDSEN, Sixten, Denmark Titarubi, Indonesia Montri TOEMSOBAT, Thailand Mitsuru TOKUTOMI, Japan Jill TRAPPLER, South Africa Ryan TRECARTIN, U.S.A Kuang-Yu TSUI, Taiwan Naoyuki TSUJI, Japan Guido VAN DER WERVE, Netherlands Erik VAN LIESHOUT, Netherlands Alan VEGA, U.S.A Luyan WANG, China Marnie WEBER, U.S.A Andro WEKUA, Georia Tien Wei WOON, Singapore Miao XIAO CHUN, China Fuyuki YAMAKAWA, Japan Ju Hae YANG, Korea Qian YANG, China Tae Keun YANG, Korea Yeorrock, Korea Ji Hun YOO, Korea Seung Jae YOO, Korea Young-Seok YOON, Korea Harumi YUKUTAKE, Japan Ivette ZIGHELBOIM, Venezuela Liliane ZUMKEMI, Switzerland