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Paris Biennale
Eighth Paris Biennale, Brochure, Gift of Lee Kun-Yong, MMCA Art Research Center Collection, Gift of Lee Kun-Yong

Paris Biennale

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The Paris Biennale was an international art exhibition held at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris from 1959 to 1985. The exhibition only accepted works from younger artists aged 20 to 35. Artists could submit to different categories, such as painting, sculpture, print, and drawing as long their works were created within the four years prior to submission. Unlike other Biennales, the Paris Biennale did not award any prizes. Instead, the committee selected specific works from each genre and offered grants and exhibition opportunities to the selected artists. Korean artists were invited to the first Paris Biennale in 1959, but they only began to participate from the second Paris Biennale in 1961. The committee of the Hyundae Fine Artists Association (Hyeondae misulga hyeopoe), delegated by the Korean Minister of Education, selected participating artists, such as Chang Seongsoun, Chung Changsup, Cho Yongik, and Kim Tschang-yeul for the second; Park Seobo, Youn Myeungro, Choi Kiwon, Kim Bongtae for the third; and Chung Sanghwa, Ha Chonghyun, Jeong Yeong-il, Lee Yangno, Choi Manlin, Park Chongbae, and Kim Chonghak for the fourth. However, after the seventh Biennale in 1963, the Korean Artists Association (Hanguk misul hyeopoe) began to question the fairness of the selection process, and the committee began to invite public submissions from the eighth Biennale onward. The Paris Biennale became a new turning point for Korean artists of the 1960s Art Informel generation by providing an opportunity for them to experience and experiment with new styles.
* Source: Multilingual Glossary of Korean Art. Korea Arts Management Service

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