Author Description

Project 1 takes its title from the overall theme of PAUSE. Pause is an instruction – to linger, to think, to rest and maybe change direction. The exhibition unfolds over four of the Biennale Hall galleries, combining a new architectural vision with work from over 150 artists. Alternative and independent groups working in different cities across Asia and Europe form the backbone of Project 1. They have been invited because they reflect a new logic for contemporary artists to work together, responding to local situations and developing a sense of community and experiment in the cities they live. In modest ways, they embody developing strategies of resistance or rethinking to the overwhelming power of the globalising economic, political and cultural mainstream. Their presentations often ask you to pause, to think not only about the work shown but also the situation in which it was produced and the influence of urban experience on contemporary visual culture. Weaving in and aro! und these groups are a number of pavilions designed by artists and architects. They are literally places to rest and take time to discuss the environment around you. The works of individual artists are thrown into this mix as a third level of interpretation of the title. These works relate to time, long-term change, slowness and the social pace required for new models of living together. Sharp cuts and sudden discoveries mark out the experience of Project 1, a labyrinth of contemporary culture in which each visitor will need to get lost in order to discover a new way home. Projects of the Gwangju Biennale 2002: Project 1, Title: Pause, Venue: Gwangju Biennale Hall Gallery 1-4. Curators: Wan-Kyung Sung (Artistic Director of the Gwangju Biennale 2002), Charles Esche (Director, Rooseum Center for Contemporary Art, Malmo, Sweden), Hou Hanru (Artistic Director, Shanghai Biennale 2000). Exhibition Space Designer: Yeong-jun Kim, Yong-ho Chang. Project 2, Venue: Gwangju Biennale Hall, Gallery 5, Curator