Home > Archive > Biennale Review Theme . ¸Ø_Ãã, P_A_U_S_E, _ ò­_ Period . March 29th - June 29th, 2002 Venue . Biennale Exhibition Hall Host . Gwangju Biennale Foundation, Gwangju City Contents . Main Exhibition, Special Exhibition, Satellite Exhibition, Satellite and   Sponsored Exhibitions -:: Festivities: . Pre opening, Opening & Closing Ceremony, Gala Festivities,   Foreign Folk Performance, World Art Wear Show Pause is a paradoxical concept; while the word means "to stop," simultaneously, it is a moment when new activities are conceived. In fact, it is this paradoxical quality which brings vitality to the concept. The pause itself is neutral and independent, but at the same time, it has a definite direction and remains within a context of reality. The 2002 Gwangju Biennale is woven through with the broad theme of Pause. The concept of Pause implies a momentary halt and recess from the breathtakingly fast march of the mankind in the last century. All humans need to take a break every once in a while, to catch their breath, reflect on the past, and to destroy and renew old paradigms. In this sense, Pause implies a halt for greater movement in the end, and preparation for a fresh start. Through the theme of Pause, the Biennale will communicate to audiences the need to put a halt to the material and physical aspects of our lives for a few moments and make room for other dimensions to happen. The concept gently pushes us to ponder the state of civilization, for improvement or rejection thereof, or simply for the enjoyment of the pause itself. The theme of Pause is what really separates the 2002 Gwangju Biennale from conventional biennales. Rather than valorizing scale or speed, it provides a space where visitors can meditate spontaneously, immerse themselves in intimate cultural experiences, and engage in dialogue with art. The exhibition spaces, evoking the metaphors and vitality of Pause, provides opportunities for shared artistic and cultural experiences; serious yet vivid reflections; and recharging of energy, amidst the relentlessly fast changes that characterize our times. Some of the unique characteristics of the 2002 Gwangju Biennale are : Abandonment of the main vs. special exhibition structure and the categorization of displays by continent and art form, in favor of theme-based projects, in order to stress exhibition processes as well as end results. While highlighting the power and spirit of both Asian and European art, it attempts to provide new models for artistic institutions and organizations and for the relationship between art and societies. Accommodation of architectural engineering in order to represent exhibition spaces in a dynamic manner to give exhibition viewers an illusion of taking a walk on downtown streets. A multitude of workshops, lectures, debates and events will be held on the streets and at sites outside the exhibition halls to encourage visitor participation, and to breathe vitality into exhibits and mingle them with real-life culture. Title : THERE: Sites of Korean Diaspora Venue : Gwangju Biennale Hall Gallery 5 Curators : Yong Soon Min (Professor of Studio of Art, University of California, Irvine, USA) Associate Curators : Soo-Young Chin (Executive Director of the Korean American Museum, USA; lecturer of cultural anthropology at the University of California at Los Angeles) - Paul Yi (Former program adviser to the Pusan International Film Festival) Exhibition Design : Ronald Stroud (Exhibition designer for the Japanese American National Museum in L.A., USA) Project 2 presents richly varied and complex exhibitions rendering a visual depiction of the past and present of the Korean Diaspora. The exhibitions consist of two major elements: educational and historical exhibitions and events featuring historical resources, documentaries, and symposiums; and artistic and cultural exhibitions of works by internationally renowned Korean expatriate artists. Title : Stay of Execution Venue : May 18 Liberty Park Curators : Wan-kyung Sung( Artistic director of GB4) 'Stay of Execution', which is the terms using in judicial decision as probation, underscores the deferred and paused state of Korean democracy using the metaphor of postponed time, conditional pause and freedom, and a probationary release in relation to the broader theme of Pause. It also deals with new interpretations of topics such as resistance against the fossilization of memory, the banality of memorial formats, and space & placeability, in an attempt to illuminate the present implications of history and art. Title : Connection Venue : Disused Railway in the City (a section of the dismantled 10.8-km Kyung-jun Railway crossing the heart of Gwangju, running between Nam-Gwangju Station, Gwanju-chun bridge and 100meters nearby.) Curators : Guyon Chung (Chairman of Guyon Architect Association) The site of the disused railway in downtown Gwangju is not just empty idling land, but a site of modern historical remnants, and ecological expression of natures struggle for restoration. Expanding on these ideas, the Biennale prepared a series of exhibitions promoting the meeting of public art and the city, in an attempt to explore the possibilities of reviving Gwangju as a city of culture. The exhibitions, a collaboration among a large number of architects, presents new models for the proactive participation and direct intervention of art in urban planning and for the consideration of art in tandem with urban planning.