Daegu Photo Biennale
Launched in 2006, the Daegu Photo Biennale (DPB) has grown into Asia’s foremost photography biennale over the past two decades. Grounded in the significance that Daegu has held throughout the modern and contemporary history of Korean photography, the DPB has aspired to be a platform that links the city’s historical and cultural assets with the rest of the world. The DPB has also taken as its annual theme an important issue of the times, recognizing the photograph’s role as a record and work of art and contemplating how photographic works can be understood.
The DPB aims to become an international photography platform that explores, as it always has, photography’s future and social role.
Daegu Photo Biennale: Summaries and Descriptions
1st (2006)
- Theme Asia + Photography
- Duration Oct. 19-29, 2006
- Venues EXCO, Daegu Arts Center, etc.
- Description A survey of contemporary photographic culture throughout Asia through diverse events (e.g. photography exhibition, special exhibition, symposium, urban project)
2nd (2008)
- Theme Then & Now - Memories of the Future
- Duration Oct. 31 to Nov. 16, 2008
- Venues EXCO, Daegu Arts Center, Bongsan Cultural Center, Daegu Citizens’ Hall, etc.
- Description An exploration of the sociocultural roles played by photography through two themes (memory and future)
3rd (2010)
- Theme tru(E)motion
- Duration Sep. 30 to Oct. 24, 2010
- Venues Daegu Arts Center, Bongsan Cultural Center, art galleries in downtown Daegu
- Description Transition from domestic event to international biennale, with upgraded exhibition-related discourse and improved quality of exhibited works
4th (2012)
- Theme PHOTOGRAPHIC!
- Duration Sep. 20 to Oct. 28, 2012
- Description Diversification of exhibitions and programs, invitation of overseas curators, revitalization of special exhibitions, exploration of potential for expansion of photography’s function
5th (2014)
- Theme Photographic Narrative
- Duration Sep. 12 to Oct. 19, 2014
- Venues Daegu Arts Center, Daegu Art Factory, Bongsan Cultural Center
- Description Increased international participation, projects with overseas artists, broadening of social and political discourse through photography, assessment of the current state of Korean photographic culture
6th (2016)
- Theme From Where Do We Come From & Where Are We Going
- Duration Sep. 29 to Nov. 3, 2016
- Venues Daegu Arts Center, Bongsan Cultural Center, Bongsan Culture Street, etc.
- Description Emphasis on tangible impact of contemporary photographic culture, with interactions between and experimental approaches regarding changes in technology/medium and photography
7th (2018)
- Theme Frame Freely
- Duration Sep. 7 to Oct. 16, 2018
- Venues Daegu Arts Center, Daegu Art Factory, etc.
- Description More exchanges between Korean and foreign artists, special exhibition on the history of photography in Daegu, revitalization of local photographic culture
8th (2021)
- Theme Missing Agenda (Even Below 37.5)
- Duration Sep. 10 to Nov. 2, 2021
- Venues Daegu Arts Center, Keimyung University Daegu Dongsan Hospital, Dongdaegu Station Plaza, etc.
- Description Social issues and changes in methods of photographic expression during the COVID-19 pandemic and increased number of citizen-participatory venues and outdoor programs
9th (2023)
- Theme Again, with Photography!
- Duration Sep. 22 to Nov. 5, 2023
- Venues Daegu Arts Center, Daegu Art Factory, Art Museum KNU, places in downtown Daegu
- Description A reinterpretation of photography’s unique power and identity as a medium, with the main exhibition exploring the influence and sensory expressiveness of contemporary photography
10th (2025)
- Theme THE Pulse of Life
- Duration Sep. 18 to Nov. 16, 2025
- Venues Daegu Arts Center, The Hyundai Daegu, places in downtown Daegu
- Description Questions about life and coexistence through the relationships that exist between nature and humans, between the visible and invisible worlds, and between humans and non-humans