16th Gwangju Biennale

5 September – 15 November 2026

Neither Here nor There, but Everywhere

The Stateless Mind Pavilion is an independent international platform participating in the 16th Gwangju Biennale. Rather than representing a nation, it brings together artists, curators, and communities through a shared commitment to dialogue, collaboration, and exchange.

For the 2026 edition, the Pavilion is imagined not as a single exhibition but as a constellation of temporary relay points connecting people, places, and practices. Through exhibitions, conversations, workshops, sound, walking, and shared experiences, each encounter contributes to a larger translocal network while remaining rooted in its own local context.

Read the Curatorial Statement →

 Amir Zainorin, Rhythm of Identity, 2024, Wood, x-rays, textile and lightbox. 30 pieces of frame drums in various sizes 

Amir Zainorin's Rhythm of Identity (2024) reimagines traditional percussion instruments as both sculptural objects and sound-producing devices. Visitors are invited to engage with the instruments, creating an ever-evolving sonic environment. 

Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen, 23.5° (Today is Your), 2020, Fresh Lemons or other locals fruits, Credit : Malle Madsen / Frida Gregersen, duration is flexible from 10 minutes to durational performance.

Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen’s 23.5° (Today is Your) (2020) takes its title from the Earth's axial tilt of 23.5 degrees, which also marks the summer and winter solstices. As a ritual and a tribute to light and health, Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen reads the statements engraved on lemons and shares the vitamin fruit with the audience. 

Fadly Sabran, Echoes on the Wall, Dimension Variable, 2026, Digital print, Video animated with Augmented Reality 

Fadly Sabran's Echoes on the Wall (2026) digitally reconstructs prehistoric cave paintings from the Kinta Valley in Malaysia through Augmented Reality (AR). By reactivating images endangered by neglect, vandalism, and industrial development, the work creates a spatial archive where civilizations, time, and cultural memory intersect. 

Tamara Al-Mashouk, I’d search forever, I want to remember, dimensions variable, 2023, wave machine, sound score, three-channel film, photography, water jugs, found material assemblages, and social practice, Photo by Hugo Glendinning 

Tamara Al-Mashouk's I'd Search Forever, I Want to Remember (2023) asks if water and place remember the way our bodies do. The work comprises a wave machine containing water from the English Channel as its witness, a three-channel film, and a photographic series.

Sibonelo Gumede and Nombuso Mathibela, Ways of Repair presented at the Centre for the Less Good Idea, Johannesburg S. Africa, 2024-ongoing, Performance with voice, string instruments, and projectors, dimensions variable, Photo by Zivanai Matangi

Sibonelo Gumede and Nombuso Mathibela's Ways of Repair (2024–present) is a series of sonic performances and workshops based on the archive of Princess Magogo, the Zulu princess, musician, and poet. The project grapples with questions around contemporary modes of archival research in South Africa and anti-colonial, nationalist and feminist music histories and political aesthetics. 

August 2026

Preparations are now underway for the Stateless Mind Pavilion at the 16th Gwangju Biennale Pavilion, opening on 5 September 2026 at Gallery SEEUM in Gwangju, Republic of Korea.

Titled Neither Here nor There, but Everywhere, the Pavilion brings together artists from Asia, Africa, Europe, and South and North America whose practices engage with movement, memory, identity, sound, ecology, technology, and collective knowledge.

Rather than representing a nation, Stateless Mind proposes another way of imagining international exchange—one grounded in relationships rather than borders. The Pavilion will unfold through installations, moving image, sound, performance, workshops, artist talks, and other forms of encounter and exchange.

Participating Artists

Tamara Al-Mashouk
Susana Pilar Delahante Matienzo
Phoshoza — Sibonelo Gumede & Nombuso Mathibela
Sheung Yiu
Saiful Razman & Yahya Torek
Ronnie Bahari
mónica teresa ortiz
Miguel EdKe Keerveld
Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen
Grace Xu
Fadly Sabran & Tumbuktikus Collective
Dalida María Benfield
Chris Bratton
Ariel William Orah
Amir Zainorin

Curatorial Team

Amir Zainorin (Jambatan)
Dalida María Benfield and Chris Bratton (CADSR)
Fadly Sabran (Kapallorek)

Associate Curators
Anna Cuomo
Camilla Boemio

Programme

The Pavilion will develop through a changing programme of:

  • Exhibition and installations

  • Performance and sound

  • Artist talks

  • Workshops

  • Moving image

  • Walking conversations and informal gatherings

  • Research and translocal exchange

The programme will continue to evolve as participating artists activate the Pavilion during September.

Venue

Gallery SEEUM
26-12, Seoseopyeong-gil, Nam-gu
Gwangju, Republic of Korea

Opening
5 September 2026
18:00–21:00

6–14 September
Tuesday–Saturday
10:00–18:00

15–29 September
Thursday–Saturday
13:00–18:00

Collaborators

Initiated by
Jambatan (Malaysia/Denmark)

In collaboration with

Journey

The Stateless Mind Pavilion has evolved through a series of exhibitions, residencies, and public activations across different geographical and cultural contexts. Rather than existing as a fixed institution or permanent venue, it develops through encounters with people, places, and ideas. Each activation contributes to an ongoing exploration of statelessness as a condition for dialogue, collaboration, and shared experience. The journey continues to unfold, one encounter at a time.

December 2024

Kapallorek

Perak, Malaysia

The Stateless Mind Pavilion was first presented at Kapallorek as an independent platform exploring new ways of working beyond conventional national or institutional frameworks. Bringing together artists, curators, and local communities, the Pavilion established the foundation for a practice centred on dialogue, collaboration, and shared experience rather than representation.

November 2025

Reflection Mode

Lintas Benua International Artist Residency
Malaysia

The Pavilion expanded through Observation Mode, where the residency itself became the exhibition. Observation, conversation, walking, shared meals, and everyday encounters formed the basis of artistic exchange, demonstrating that meaningful connections often emerge through daily life rather than predetermined outcomes.

February 2026

Museo delle Mura

Rome, Italy

At Museo delle Mura, the Pavilion entered a new context, continuing its exploration through exhibitions, conversations, and public engagement. Set within the historic walls of Rome, the project reflected on movement, belonging, and the relationships that emerge across geographical and cultural boundaries.

September 2026

16th Gwangju Biennale

Gwangju, South Korea

The Stateless Mind Pavilion continues its journey at the 16th Gwangju Biennale, bringing together artists, curators, and researchers from different parts of the world. Conceived as a constellation of relay points rather than a single exhibition, the Pavilion continues to evolve through dialogue, artistic practice, and collaborative exchange.

The Journey continues as new places, collaborations, and encounters become part of the evolving story of the Stateless Mind Pavilion.

The Stateless Mind Pavilion continues to evolve through new encounters, places, and collaborations. Future chapters will be added here.