Busan Biennale 2012
Garden of Learning
September 22–November 24, 2012

Main exhibition: Busan Museum of Art
Special exhibition: Busan Cultural Center, Busanjin station, Gwangalli Meworld

Starting from his own ignorance when it comes to Korean matters, Roger M. Buergel, the Artistic Director, initiated a Learning Council—a group of about 80 people from all walks of life, including artists, to conceive and make the exhibition together.

In order to emphasize the role of public institutions when it comes to creative learning, and against the oppressive festival mood that has recently befallen large-scale exhibitions, it was decided that The Garden of Learning should have the feel of a museum collection, rather than a biennale-type exhibition.

With: Ai Weiwei; Ibon Aranberri; Seung Woo Back; Jo Baer; Ricardo Basbaum; Thomas Bayrle; Ben Cain; Mary Ellen Carroll; Choi Sunah; Gonzalo Díaz; Ines Doujak; Sheela Gowda; Guttorm Guttormsgaard; Tina Gverovic; Ham Kyungah; Romuald Hazoumé; Jun Sangchul; Franz Kapfer; Kim Joohyun; Kim Sangdon; Kim Yongik; Sakarin Krue-On; Lee Inmi; Moe Satt; Royce Ng; Nho Won Hee; Olaf Nicolai; Park Jahyun; Pei Yongmei; Mathias Poledna; Rho Jae Oon; Allan Sekula; Shen Shaomin; Imogen Stidworthy; Jürgen Stollhans; Sung Hyo-Sook; Tadasu Takamine; Javier Telléz; Shomei Tomatsu; Lidwien van de Ven; and Simon Wachsmuth.

A special exhibition, jointly organized by nine emerging curators under the title Outside of Garden, seeks to extend Garden of Learning beyond its museum premises by including spaces (Busanjin Station, for example) that reverberate in Busan’s historical memory. The special exhibition is curated by Yong Min Kim, Jeong Eun Kim, Ah Young Baek, Ji Min Song, Na Young Huh, Christina Choi, Ah Ram Kim, Hoon Suk Lee, Sun Jae Ham.