GWANGJU .- Applications are now open for the 2026 Gwangju Biennale Academy International Curator Course!

Gwangju Biennale International Curator Course(GBICC) is an intensive, field-based educational program for emerging curators, art theorists, and cultural practitioners working across global art scenes and local cultural contexts. Rooted in Okwui Enwezor's 'Global Institute' launched in 2008, the International Curator Course has built its international standing alongside leading figures such as Maria Lind and Ute Meta Bauer and has produced 203 alumni from around the world over the past sixteen years.

Led by independent curator and researcher Mijoo Park, the program will begin on August 29, shortly before the opening of the 16th Gwangju Biennale, and conclude in Seoul on September 10. Grounded in the 16th Gwangju Biennale, the course will bring participants into dialogue with the Artistic Director, curatorial team, and participating artists, offering insight into the exhibition’s curatorial framework, production process, and artistic practices. The program will also include seminars with invited speakers, site visits, and group activities.

You Must Change Your Default takes the theme of the 16th Gwangju Biennale—You Must Change Your Life —and extends it into the realm of curatorial practice. Through the program, participants will examine the processes and structures through how their own curatorial practices take shape, while critically reflecting on the institutional and social conditions that have oriented them. Furthermore, the course seeks to collectively explore how such conditions can be reconfigured.

The program is conducted entirely in English. In line with its commitment to supporting emerging practitioners, participation is open to those aged 35 and under. We welcome applications from young curators and cultural practitioners who are ready to question their own curatorial practice anew.

Course overview

• Course dates: August 29–September 10, 2026

• Application period: June 18–July 5, 2026, 11:59pm (KST)

• Eligibility: Contemporary art practitioners, curators, critics, artists aged 35 or under

• Benefits: Course tuition, accommodation for the duration of the course, Partial airfare expenses (details will be provided upon acceptance), course certificate

• Host: Gwangju Biennale Foundation, Gwangju Metropolitan City

Application requirements

• Application Form (download here): Application form; Statement of motivation and potential contribution (500 words); Current Curatorial Practice and Questions (500 words)

• CV

• Portfolio: a copy of the most relevant materials for past curatorial activities including exhibitions and essays (at max. ten pages)

• Letter of Recommendation (Optional)

Submission

• All documents must be submitted in English and as separate PDF for each section (1–4)

• Email to curatorcourse@gwangjubiennale.org (Email subject : GBICC_Name)

Notification

Successful candidates will be notified in late July, and the results will also be posted on the official website. Please note that the course does not guarantee the visa approval of individual participants. Participants from previous editions are not eligible to apply.