A growing number of hot issues that are linked to survival are striking the planet more than it used to be. The problems of forest fire in Australia, volcanic eruptions in the Philippines and the epidemic caused by coronavirus are no longer just domestic problems. There is curiosity about how the situation and experiences in the global city that call for 'democracy, human rights, and peace' with respect to the solutions surrounding the problem are treated as art.

The theme of the 2020 Gwangju Biennale is 'Minds Rising, Spirits Tuning'.
Define Ayas and Natasha Ginwala, the artistic directors, have indicated that this theme, focusing on artistic practices for the global living system and co-survival, is a study process for numerous practices of life and intelligence. A group of young people from the Korean Wave, called BTS, had a great influence on the world's youth, calling for inner reflection with the message 'Search for who I am and love myself', regardless of race, religion and the rich and the poor. They are striking the global mainstream with the Third World music using lyrics containing worries of the same generation.

What about the Oscars of Bong Joon-ho, the director of ‘Parasite’? The conflict between survival and coexistence is expressed as a metaphor filled with the structures of life that is extremely contrary to each other. Even though it is a non-English speaking country, having won the four crowns of the Academy is just the same as a gaining the values the whole world should be thinking about together already.

It means that the Korean Wave's remarkable cultural influences are organically connected and expressed in the wholistic way and spirit of life including sports, Korean food, Korean beauty and Korean products. It is encouraging to see the brilliant ability of all fields shining everywhere. The continuing of the communication of the existing survival problem of the art world and the individual unique experiences is a task that we will constantly share and question about, irrespective of the country, with respect to the function and role of art as long as we continue to live.

'Freedom', which introduces the contemporary art of Korean artists to the world, does not fluctuate despite the gloomy growth index of the world, which is heavily predicted this year. Since the function of art is like the healing function of self-healing, we look forward to the opening of time and season more carefully than ever before.

Art is expressed by filtering out the way of its own philosophy through the inner-self. We look forward to discovering the true character of contemporary Korean artists through the ‘Freedom 2020’, which is being introduced for the third time this year.



Kim, Eun Sook (Company Director of Celsius/artcelsi)