Artistic Director, Sea Art Festival 2027, Busan, South Korea

The Busan Biennale Organizing 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. We 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.

1. Project Overview

Direction

• Curate site-specific exhibitions and projects that reinterpret Busan’s coastal spaces and urban transformation from a contemporary perspective.

• Develop art projects centered 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.

Name of the project: Sea Art Festival 2027

Exhibition Period: September–November 2027 (37 days)

Venues: Sites within Busan that reflect the city’s maritime character, including beaches, riverfronts, ports, islands, and coastal areas (to be proposed by the applicant)

※ Whether the proposed venues can be used will be determined in consultation with the Organizing Committee, taking into consideration accessibility, safety, permits and approvals, budget, and overall feasibility.

Participating Artists: Approx. 20 artists and/or collectives from the Republic of Korea and abroad

※ The number and composition of participating artists may be adjusted depending on the curatorial concept and exhibition plan.

Project Budget: Approximately KRW 800 million

※ Subject to change depending on the project plan and implementation circumstances.

• Included: Artistic Director’s fee, artwork production and installation costs, artist fees, travel expenses, personnel costs, costs associated with exhibition-related programs, overall exhibition operating expenses, and administrative expenses

• Excluded: PR expenses

Hosted by: Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Biennale Organizing Committee

2. Open Call Overview

Position: Artistic Director, Sea Art Festival 2027

Application Period: September 21 – October 31, 2026, until 23:59 KST (41 days)

Number of Positions: One person from the Republic of Korea or abroad

※ Applicants may propose collaborators in their curatorial proposal to support the planning and implementation of the exhibition.

Employment Type: Non-full-time

Contract Period: From the date of contract through December 2027

3. Eligibility and Qualifications

• Applicants who are capable of proposing new directions and possibilities based on an understanding of the Sea Art Festival’s history and Busan’s distinctive identity as a maritime city

• Applicants with expertise in and a strong understanding of contemporary art, as well as experience in curating a diverse range of exhibitions and projects

• Applicants capable of proposing site-specific and experimental exhibitions and spatial configurations, and of planning and implementing related research and public programs

• Applicants capable of communicating and collaborating effectively with internal and external stakeholders in accordance with the relevant regulations of the Organizing Committee

• Applicants capable of collaborating with a diverse range of local stakeholders and developing inclusive and accessible programs that engage with the public

• Applicants must be able to visit Busan and stay for periods as required to ensure the effective planning and implementation of the exhibition

• Applicants capable of contributing to the expansion of the Busan Biennale Organizing Committee’s international network

4. Key Responsibilities

Provide overall artistic and curatorial direction for the exhibitions and projects of the Sea Art Festival 2027

• Establish the exhibition theme and curatorial direction and oversee the development of detailed implementation plans

• Select participating artists and artworks, and oversee the overall direction of artwork production

• Develop the exhibition budget and consult with the Organizing Committee regarding budget allocation

• Develop the spatial configuration of exhibition sites and assess the feasibility of projects proposed for each location

Other responsibilities

• Plan and implement related initiatives, including research, public programs, and archival projects

• Cooperate with the Organizing Committee in domestic and international communications and promotion, the identification of partner institutions, and sponsorship development

• Perform other duties stipulated as part of the Artistic Director’s responsibilities under the contract

※ All exhibitions and projects will be developed and implemented in consultation with the Organizing Committee.

5. Application and Selection Process

Schedule

• Application Period: September 21–October 31, 2026, until 23:59 KST (41 days)

• Announcement of Interview Candidates: By Friday, November 20, 2026

• Announcement of Final Selection: December 2026

Application Method: Online via https://apply.busanbiennale.org

Selection Process

• Application Review: November 1–19, 2026

• Announcement of Interview Candidates: By Friday, November 20, 2026

• Interviews: By Thursday, November 26, 2026

※ Interviews will be conducted with consecutive interpretation between Korean and English, as required.

※ The schedule is subject to change depending on the circumstances of the Organizing Committee.

6. Additional Information

• Only successful candidates at each stage of the selection process will be notified individually by email. Unsuccessful applicants will not receive separate notification.

• Shortlisted applicants must attend the interview on the date designated by the Organizing Committee.

• Applicants are responsible for any disadvantage arising from failure to comply with the application guidelines or from inaccurate or omitted information in their application.

• Applicants may be disqualified from the selection if any information provided in the submitted application is found to be false or inaccurate.

• During the term of appointment, the Artistic Director may not concurrently hold a key role in any other domestic or international event if it could interfere with the effective performance of their duties for this project or create a conflict of interest.

• For further information, please visit the Busan Biennale website (http://busanbiennale.org) or contact the Organizing Committee by email at apply@busanbiennale.org.

To Learn more about the Sea Art Festival visit Busan Biennale website.