Co-artistic directors selected for South Korea's Busan Biennale 2026

Amal Khalaf (UK/ Bahrain) and Evelyn Simons (Belgium) - both active on the international art scene - have been appointed as co-artistic directors of Busan Biennale 2026. Busan is located on the southeastern coast of South Korea, serving as the country's second-largest city.

Following an open call that ran for approximately one month, and which began in May, the committee selected the female duo through a multi-stage review and deliberation process.

As a female curatorial duo, they proposed a collaborative plan that enlivens the city by utilising diverse spaces across Busan, South Korea and interweaves multiple artistic genres.

They plan to utilise not only the Busan Museum of Contemporary Art but also a range of symbolically significant urban sites across the city as exhibition venues. Starting from the museum, their curatorial vision unfolds at both indoor and outdoor locations throughout Busan, resonating with themes of resistance, healing, care, and hope, and echoing a collective lament for our times.

A defining feature of their proposal is its focus on a multi-arts exhibition that encompasses site-specific installations and visual art alongside time-based performances and music. As artistic directors of Busan Biennale 2026, their concept offers an artistic interpretation of Busan’s identity as a maritime city and its potential as a global cultural hub. Through sensuous and experimental exhibitions rooted in the local context, the duo is expected to open new artistic horizons. Furthermore, their collaborative model invites participation from local artists and diverse cultural actors, generating fresh momentum and interest in the art world.

Joon Lee, Executive Director of the Busan Biennale Organizing Committee noted “their proposal, themed Dissident Chorus, received strong support from the jury for offering five artistic practices that examine the world with a fresh, unique lens - through memory, empathy, healing, resistance, and solidarity, all of which will be mediated by the body, sound, and water.

“Given their emphasis on community engagement and collaborative practices, we will fully support the realization of their vision.”

Image. Amal Khalaf (left) and Evelyn Simons (right) appointed as co-artistic directors of Busan Biennale 2026.