City Secures 2nd Expo with Exhibitions, Forums, and Tours
Next Year to Host "National Library Conference"… Proving Cultural Competence
In September, Gwangju will host the nation's largest "Museum·Art Museum Expo."
The Gwangju City Government has successfully secured both the "2nd Museum·Art Museum Expo" and the "2026 National Library Conference," thereby not only demonstrating Gwangju's cultural capabilities to the outside world but also increasing the likelihood of continuously hosting domestic and international cultural events.
On May 12, the Gwangju City Government announced that, in celebration of "2025 Visit Gwangju Year," it has been selected to host the "2nd Museum·Art Museum Expo," the largest event of its kind in Korea, organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
This expo, hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is scheduled to take place from September 4 to 7 at the Kimdaejung Convention Center in Gwangju. Under the theme "The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities," the expo will highlight the roles and future visions of museums and art museums both in Korea and abroad.
The expo will feature participation from national, public, and private museums and art museums such as the National Museum of Korea, the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, as well as related industries and cultural planning agencies. The event will comprise special exhibitions, forums and lectures, hands-on programs, immersive content, business sessions, and the sale of museum and art museum souvenirs, encompassing exhibitions, experiences, and industry activities.
At last year's expo held in Busan, the event received an enthusiastic response from the public by reconstructing collections of collectors such as the late Samsung Chairman Lee Byung-chul, allowing visitors to experience their collecting activities during their lifetimes.
This year's expo will introduce global museum trends reflecting the theme of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and will also feature expert lectures and international seminars exploring the intersection of museums with societal changes such as artificial intelligence (AI), low birth rates, aging populations, and multiculturalism. In addition, directors and experts from museums and art museums in Korea and abroad will participate to establish a collaborative network.
The city plans to operate urban experiential exhibitions and linked tour programs alongside the expo to increase visitor stay time and encourage local spending, thereby promoting regional tourism and revitalizing the local economy.
Along with these efforts, the city is also accelerating the expansion of its cultural infrastructure to become an Asian cultural hub by pursuing the establishment of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History’s Democracy History Hall in Gwangju, attracting a Gwangju branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and constructing a Gwangju branch of the National Assembly Library.
Mayor Kang Gijung stated, "This year's Museum·Art Museum Expo in Gwangju will become a new cultural platform that combines Gwangju's cultural sensibility with new technologies and global discourse," adding, "We will use this opportunity to capture the attention of domestic and international visitors and to envision the future of Gwangju's culture together."
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