Yishu was honoured to be invited to attend the World Biennial Forum No. 1: Shifting Gravity, which took place in the city of Gwangju, South Korea, from October 27 to 31, 2012. It was a marvelous international get-together for curators, art practitioners, and biennial organizations to discuss practical and actual issues concerning biennials. Yishu is going to publish the forum proceedings in a special issue in 2013.

The World Biennial Forum No. 1 was directed by Ute Meta Bauer and Hou Hanru.

About the Forum:

The World Biennial Forum No 1: SHIFTING GRAVITY co-directed by Ute Meta Bauer and Hou Hanru took place in the city of Gwangju, South Korea, from October 27 to 31 2012.

The World Biennial Forum No 1 was an international convention, the first of its kind for biennale practitioners and related professionals, on the occasion of the 9th Gwangju Biennale: ROUNDTABLE.

The World Biennial Forum No 1 served as a meeting point and forum for exchange, providing an opportunity for critical reflection upon the fact that over one hundred-fifty biennials for art and related disciplines are currently being organized all over the world: a world with many cultural centres that are characterized by rapidly changing socio-economic, and political certainties. This reality creates new challenges in the field of producing and curating contemporary art while it has affected various societies across the globe. The World Biennial Forum No 1 dedicated special attention to Asia as its context and as a continent.

The World Biennial Forum No 1 was aimed for all those who are involved in curating, organizing, and supporting international biennials. Conceived as an informal meeting point, the World Biennial Forum No 1 presented keynotes speeches by well-known speakers from a wide range of backgrounds and fields, and also offered Case Study discussions in order to address matters that concern those who engage with biennials on a professional level, including those who represent and fund them.

Details of the program can be viewed at: http://www.worldbiennialforum.org/about/