16th Gwangju Biennale: Taking a Step Forward off of a Transparent Cliff

Gwangju_POZIOM_2026.jpg, default, 'Rites of Passage' at the Polish Pavilion at the Gwangju Biennale 2026, photo: IAM

The exhibition at the Polish Pavilion at the 16th Gwangju Biennale will guide visitors through a variety of spaces, each of which will allow them to experience transformation and the rituals that accompany it.

‘We are perched on this sharp edge of time – a transparent precipice that renews itself every moment – and we press on. Restlessly, we place one foot on the edge of the time we have lived through so far, and without hesitation we stretch the other out into the void, without even a fraction of a second to bring our will into play. It is not a matter of particular courage; we simply have no other choice. I am aware of this risk now, at this very moment. I am recklessly stepping into a time I have not yet lived through, into the space of a book I have not yet written’ (trans. Justyna Najbar-Miller). These words by the award-winning Korean writer Han Kang, from her 2016 novel The White Book, form the central theme of the exhibition Rites of Passage in the Polish Pavilion at the 16th Gwangju Biennale, organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.

The Nobel laureate worked on her book while on a writing residency in Warsaw. The Polish capital is described in the book as a ‘white city’ with a complex wartime history, which rose from its own ruins. The city – a symbol of renewal and constant change.

Intimate & geopolitical

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‘Materials of Time’ by Alicja Bielawska, photo: Bartosz Górka

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‘This passage from The White Book reminds us that change is a consistent part of our life’, emphasises Paulina Olszewska, curator of the exhibition at Gwangju, bringing the main motto of the biennial into focus: ‘You must change your life’. ‘We find ourselves in a constant process of transformation, whether in the biological sphere or in our private, social or spiritual lives. Moments of balance are exceptional states’, she continues.

In developing the concept for the exhibition, she focused on rites of passage, which mark moments of change, according to the theory put forward by the French anthropologist Arnold van Gennep. She was interested in both culturally and socially embedded rituals and those of a private nature, which people in secularised societies define for themselves, moving away from old traditions and structured frameworks.

‘Drawing on social and private rituals, I decided to use the experience of art to explore the various stages and moments at which change occurs’, says Olszewska. ‘I take my cue from personal, intimate situations, but this exhibition is also intended as a reflection on our current geopolitical situation. Poland is in a state of crisis; there is a war just across the border. Political protests have only just ended in Korea. Both countries are also undergoing a constant process of transformation’.

Feeling lost

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Span II (Rozpiętość II) by Inside Job (Ula Lucińska, Michał Knychaus), 2024, photo: Inside Job

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The Rites of Passage exhibition is an immersive art project whose structure reflects the process of navigating states of limbo and uncertainty. It’s a journey through a variety of spaces, each of which evokes different sensations and emotions in the viewer.

‘I invited artists to participate in the exhibition whom I knew worked with installations, and for whom space plays an important role in their art’, explains Olszewska. ‘Although the works come from different contexts, periods and cultural spheres, when juxtaposed they can harmonise, create new meaning and open up a dialogue’.

Alicja Bielawska will create an installation using textiles and ceramics, complemented by works on paper. The duo Inside Job (Ula Lucińska and Michał Knychaus) will produce works of an industrial, structural nature, reminiscent of the ribs of ships – a stable structure which nevertheless suggests movement and the traversing of distance. Anna Zaradny, for her part, will present a sound installation that will serve as an additional guide through the exhibition – sounds will appear and disappear depending on the space. She will also show two video installations – one of which will be situated in a room lined with mirrors. It will reflect a sense of disorientation, prompting the viewer to reflect on how they find their bearings in such a situation.

The meanderings of spirituality

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‘Portable Temple’ 2024-2 (fragment) by Yeesookyung, 2024, photo: Kim Young-tae

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References to Buddhism are an important part of the exhibition, as it forms part of Korea’s spiritual tradition, also to shamanism and ancestral spirits – a heritage that was suppressed in the country for many years but is now making a comeback as part of a return to the nation’s cultural roots, particularly in the arts.

The figure who will guide visitors through the intricacies of spirituality is Polish artist Urszula Broll, who has devoted her entire life to the study of Buddhism and to painting, which she regarded as a form of meditation. Alongside Broll’s work, the exhibition will feature pieces by the Korean artist Yeesookyung: a series of works created using the traditional pigment-on-silk technique, depicting figures from Buddhist philosophy and religion. We will also see a piece by Park Sekwang, a Korean artist and a classic of the art world who died in 1985. He was fascinated by Korea’s shamanic culture.

‘I wanted to show the universality of rites of passage for every culture and every individual’, explains Paulina Olszewska, commenting on the Buddhist and shamanic themes. ‘It was also important to speak to the Korean audience in a language that they would intuitively understand and which would serve as a point of reference for the Polish pieces’.

Each of the installations in the exhibition will therefore be a rite of passage in its own right. Together, they will form a personal journey full of sensory experiences – visual, auditory and tactile – which will embody the process of transformation, regardless of the viewer’s cultural context.

In honour of the opening of the exhibition, Anna Zaradny has prepared a performance called White Smile.

Polish Artists at the 2026 Gwangju Biennale – Image Gallery

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The Gwangju Biennale, founded in 1995, is the oldest and one of the most prestigious contemporary art biennials in Asia. Not only does it build on the city’s rich cultural heritage, but it also plays a key role in the development of contemporary art in South Korea and in promoting the Korean art scene on the international stage. The artistic director of the 16th edition of the Gwangju Biennale in 2026 is Ho Tzu Nyen – a Singaporean visual artist known for his interdisciplinary approach to art. In addition to the main exhibition, the biennale will feature 25 national pavilions. Poland has been participating since 2023, when the pavilion was curated by Marianna Dobkowska and Sebastian Cichocki. The following year, Paweł Janicki curated the pavilion in collaboration with the WRO Art Centre.

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Gwangju Biennale