SEOUL: The 15th edition of the Gwangju Biennale, the oldest contemporary art biennale in South Korea, kicked off on Saturday, with the participation of Qatar Pavilion, which is the first and only Arab country to have a standalone pavilion at the 2024 Gwangju Biennale.
The Qatar Pavilion is curated by the National Museum of Qatar.
The Qatar Pavilion will present the exhibition, Knock, Rain, Knock, which will run until December 1.
On this occasion, Director of the National Museum of Qatar Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Hamad Al Thani expressed his pride in opening the Qatar Pavilion at the Gwangju Biennale, which coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Qatar and South Korea.
This pavilion represents a valuable opportunity to share Qatar's rich cultural heritage and contemporary arts with a global audience, he said, adding that it is a unique occasion to narrate an aspect of Qatari history, highlight Qatari identity, and interact with a global cultural forum of special importance.
He added that they are proud of presenting artworks from seven Qatari and Qatar-based artists while stressing the National Museum of Qatar's commitment to preserving Qatari heritage and enhancing its position in contemporary life.
In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) Sara Al Naimi said she was happy to participate in the Gwangju Biennale. Sara Al Naimi's Al Istigatha will present a triptych of woodblock prints on linen using words from a poem of the late revered poet of Nabati poetry, Mohsen bin Osman Al Hazani.
Nada Elkharashi's Al Fag'a Oasis installation and video work, inspired by the desert truffle, or faga'a, looks at the journey of collecting rainwater in the desert.
Abdulrahman Al Muftah's Rain on Materiality consists of three large patinated copper sheets, inspired by metal billboard structures found across the country.