Poland to Be Guest of Honour at Cheongju Craft Biennale 2027 as Adam Mickiewicz Institute and Cheongju Craft Biennale Sign Memorandum of Understanding
Poland will be the Guest of Honour at the 15th Cheongju Craft Biennale, one of the world’s leading events dedicated to contemporary craft. On 3 September 2026, representatives of the Biennale Organising Committee and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Seoul. This marks another strategic step in the consistent development of artistic cooperation and cultural exchange between Poland and the Republic of Korea.
The memorandum was signed by Shin Byung-dae, Vice Chairman of the Cheongju Craft Biennale Organising Committee and Deputy Mayor of Cheongju, and Dr. Olga Wysocka, Director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
Under the memorandum, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute will be responsible for preparing Poland’s presentation as part of the Guest of Honour programme. The agreement also provides for continued exchange after the Biennale, as well as initiatives aimed at strengthening the presence of Polish craft in Korea and, similarly, Korean craft in Poland.
Poland’s brand is built above all on quality, consistency and lasting relationships. Poland’s designation as Guest of Honour at the Cheongju Craft Biennale is the result of many years of cooperation and will allow us to present Poland as a country that creatively combines heritage with modernity and speaks its own voice in the international conversation about the future. This is not the culmination, but the opening of another chapter in the Polish-Korean partnership — underlines Dr. Olga Wysocka, Director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
The decision builds on many years of Polish cultural presence in the Republic of Korea. The Adam Mickiewicz Institute has been active there since 2009, working with more than 40 partners. Over the past 12 years, the Institute has organised more than 250 events spanning visual arts, craft and design, theatre, film and music.
Of particular significance was a programme organised in 2024 to mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Poland and the Republic of Korea. A year later, the Cheongju Craft Biennale presented works by Polish artists Alicja Patanowska, Beata Legierska, Justyna Smoleń and Marcin Rusak for the first time.
The long-term nature of this cooperation is also reflected in agreements signed by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute with the Gwangju Biennale Foundation, the Seoul Museum of Art and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. On 5 September 2026, the Polish-Korean exhibition Rites of Passage, organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, will open as part of the Gwangju Biennale.
This agreement is a significant milestone that goes beyond introducing Poland’s outstanding craft to Korea; it builds a virtuous cycle for Cheongju’s excellent craft art to expand into Europe — emphasises Shin Byung-dae, Vice Chairman of the Cheongju Craft Biennale Organising Committee.
The Cheongju Craft Biennale (청주공예비엔날레) has been held since 1999 and attracts, on average, more than 300,000 visitors from around 60 countries with each edition. The 15th edition will take place from 2 September to 31 October 2027 under the theme Back to Human. The Biennale will reflect on the significance of craft as a field rooted in human senses, emotions, knowledge and our relationship with matter.
The Adam Mickiewicz Institute (IAM) brings Polish culture to people around the world. Being a state institution, it creates lasting interest in Polish culture and art through strengthening the presence of Polish artists on the global stage. It initiates innovative projects, supports international cooperation and cultural exchanges. It promotes the work of both established and promising artists, showing the diversity and richness of our culture. The Adam Mickiewicz Institute is also responsible for the Culture.pl website, a comprehensive source of knowledge about Polish culture. More information: https://iam.pl/en
Media contact:
Bartłomiej Jankowski
email: [email protected]
phone: +48 601 343 968
