Taiwan rejects Gwangju Biennale claim over renaming of 'Taiwan Pavilion'

Taipei, Aug. 19 (CNA) The Ministry of Culture (MOC) on Wednesday rejected the Gwangju Biennale Foundation's claim that Taiwan's National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA) applied to participate as an institution, saying the claim was "clearly incorrect."

The MOC's statement came amid a dispute over the South Korean organizer's unilateral renaming of the "Taiwan Pavilion."

The dispute arose after the foundation removed "Taiwan" from its promotional materials for the upcoming biennale and replaced it with "NTMoFA," prompting strong protests from Taiwan.

The foundation said earlier Wednesday that NTMoFA signed an agreement with the organizer on Jan. 12 to participate as an institution and was therefore identified by its museum name rather than as the "Taiwan Pavilion."

In its statement, the foundation explained that it categorizes Pavilion participants as either national pavilions or institutional pavilions.

"Participants seeking to present as a national pavilion are required to submit an official letter of approval issued by the relevant embassy or ministry of culture," it said.

However, the MOC argued that NTMoFA submitted its proposal under the name "Taiwan Pavilion" and received official confirmation on April 2 that the proposal had been approved. The two sides subsequently signed an agreement on April 23, it said.

Later correspondence between NTMoFA and the biennale foundation continued to use the name "Taiwan Pavilion" in discussions over the venue and exhibition arrangements, the ministry said.

It was not until June that the South Korean organizer began referring to the exhibition as the "NTMoFA Pavilion," prompting repeated protests from Taiwan, the MOC said.

The foundation also denied that the renaming involved political censorship, calling it an administrative matter concerning participant classification and naming conventions.

"Framing or disseminating the matter as an act of censorship by the foundation may affect the reputation of not only the Gwangju Biennale Foundation, but also the countries and institutions participating in the Pavilion project," the foundation said in the statement.

The MOC emphasized that the foundation's explanation contradicted the documentary record of the proposal, its approval and subsequent communications between the two sides.

The ministry said it and Taiwan's representative office in South Korea have repeatedly raised the issue with the organizer and Gwangju authorities, but did not received a positive response.

Taiwan will continue to insist on participating under the name "Taiwan Pavilion," the MOC said, adding that it would take necessary action if the organizer unilaterally violates the agreement.

The 16th Gwangju Biennale is scheduled to run from Sept. 5 to Nov. 15.