Overview
- The Gwangju Biennale Foundation, which approved the change on Wednesday, August 26, authorised the presentation to use the name "Taiwan Pavilion" and granted the team access to the Asia Culture Center to begin installation.
- Biennale organisers say the earlier listing as "NTMoFA Pavilion" followed participant-classification rules that name institutional entrants by their organising body rather than a country.
- Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture pushed for the restoration and supplied proposal documents and an official letter that confirmed NTMoFA’s participation and authorised the use of the "Taiwan Pavilion" name.
- Participating artists and South Korean solidarity groups publicly accused the foundation of erasing Taiwan and of censorship, actions that intensified scrutiny and pressured organisers to reverse the listing; the foundation has not provided a detailed public explanation for the reversal.
- The episode underlines how Taiwan’s contested diplomatic status complicates cultural events, could prompt closer checks on biennale naming procedures ahead of the September 5 opening, and reminds organisers that local pro-democracy values shape public expectations for artistic freedom.