The Busan Biennale Organising Committee invites applications through an international open call for the position of Artistic Director of the Sea Art Festival 2027.
Since its inception in 1987, the Sea Art Festival has established itself as a distinctive contemporary art event that continually reinterprets Busan’s relationship with the sea and the city through the lens of contemporary art. The Organising Committee welcome applications from candidates with vision and expertise who can critically engage with the transformation of Busan as a coastal city and envision new possibilities for the Sea Art Festival.
The exhibition period is September to November 2027. The contract period is from the date of contract through December 2027.
The successful applicant is expected to undertake the following:
- Curate site-specific exhibitions and projects that reinterpret Busan’s coastal spaces and urban transformation from a contemporary perspective.
- Develop art projects centred on sites that embody Busan’s maritime character—including beaches, riverfronts, and ports— with the possibility of connecting with surrounding urban spaces, including local streets and shops, public facilities, cultural spaces, and media walls.
- Extend beyond conventional exhibition formats by incorporating a range of approaches, including research, workshops, performances, and public programs.
- Foster collaboration and co-production with public institutions, arts and cultural organizations, research institutions, and other partners in Busan, creating connections through the sharing of local knowledge and experience.
There will be approximately 20 participating artists and/or collectives from the Republic of Korea and abroad.
Applicants may propose collaborators in their curatorial proposal to support the planning and implementation of the exhibition.
The Project Budget is approximately KRW 800 million. Included in this is the Artistic Director’s fee, artwork production and installation costs, artist fees, travel expenses, personnel costs, costs associated with exhibition-related programmes, overall exhibition operating expenses, and administrative expenses.
