2026 5th Jeju Biennale Heokkeugok Modakchigok Iyahong: The Art of Transformation

The civilization that blossomed on Jeju, a volcanic island on the Eurasian Plate, flowed in not only from the sea but also arrived from the northern continental civilization. All manner of elements scattered and gathered on Jeju, mingled and transformed, shaping today's Jeju—its ecology, geography, and way of life. Now in its tenth year, the 5th Jeju Biennale turns its attention to Jeju's unique process of scattering (heokkeuda), gathering (modakchida), and transformation (iyahong) through encounters with northern civilization. To this end, the Biennale adopts the refrain "Iyahong" from the Iyahong taryeong, a folk song that flowed in from the mainland and became another indigenous song of Jeju, as its theme and core concept. Through Jeju, imbued with the principles of climate and sustenance, the Jeju Biennale seeks to present the ways of survival and their aesthetics forged together by objects, nature, human life, and the divine.