China artists quit S.Korea art show after organisers let ‘Taiwan’ be used in name of exhibition

Chinese artists have abandoned their participation in a major South Korean art exhibition following organizers' approval of the term "Taiwan" in an exhibition's title, officials announced on Thursday. This action came amid China's criticism of the event. The Gwangju Biennale, one of the largest contemporary art events in Asia, is set to commence on Saturday.

The controversy arose when Taiwanese artists initially proposed naming their exhibition "Taiwan Pavilion," but the organizers later changed it to "NTMoFA" – the abbreviation for Taiwan's National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts – without the artists' consent, effectively erasing Taiwan from the poster, according to a joint statement released last month.

The artists accused the organizers of engaging in "political censorship." In response, China has maintained its claim over Taiwan, a self-governed island with over 23 million inhabitants, and has threatened to employ force to incorporate it. Earlier this week, the Gwangju Biennale foundation conceded to revert to the original name "Taiwan Pavilion," which prompted the Chinese artists to cease their preparations and formally withdraw from the biennale on Thursday, according to local media reports.

A spokesperson for the foundation confirmed to AFP that the Chinese artists have indeed withdrawn from the event. China's consulate general in Gwangju deemed the organizers' approval of the term "Taiwan" as a clear breach of the "One China" principle, urging the organizers to rectify their actions immediately. Seoul's foreign ministry attempted to defuse the tension, emphasizing that the government's stance on Taiwan remains unchanged.

The ministry stressed that the decision was made in the cultural and artistic realm and is unrelated to South Korea's position on Taiwan. The ministry expressed hope that the issue wouldn't negatively impact South Korea-China relations or exchanges and cooperation between the two nations.