1. First shipment for 2010 Gwangju Biennale arrives

Three thousand display pieces for the 2010 Gwangju Biennale arrived in Gwangju yesterday (July 20) with the organizing committee revealing that the installation of the Teddy Bear Project has begun.

The project is a photographic display by Ydessa Hendeles <Yid-essa Hen-delez>   who is currently showing her work at an art gallery in Canada.

Meanwhile, construction of the festival grounds, which include the Gwangju Museum of Art and Folk Music, will be finished next month.

The Gwangju Biennale involves 134 international artists and runs from September 3 to November 7.

2. Chonnam University Seeks Medical School Reinstallation

The Chonnam University Graduate School for Medical Studies is seeking a return to its original medical school system in 2015, provided an agreement can be reached between council members and the academic affairs council.

Those seeking the change argue there is little difference between the current and former systems.

They also argue that the period for the graduate school is too long with too many students from other regions flowing in.

If successful, the university will operate both the medical school and graduate school until 2018.

Under the proposal, new medical school students will be accepted from 2013.

The graduate school will stop accepting new students from 2014.

To help stop further confusion for students who have already prepared for the graduate school, the university will allow 30 percent of students to transfer to the medical school system by 2018.

3. Gwangju Performing Arts Foundation Creates New Slogan

The Gwangju Performing Arts Foundation has created a new slogan for itself to better exemplify its future role within the community.

The Foundation has decided on the phrase “Creating Performance Arts for the Citizens” as their slogan, as the group will now focus on creatively expressing deep, human emotion by stimulating people’s imagination and giving energy to their lives.

Having already combined with the Gwangju International Performance Arts Festival, the Jeongyulseong Music Festival, and the Gwangju Women’s choir, the Foundation now hopes to bring more variety to the arts and be less restrictive in choosing venues to perform or in creating Gwangju-based cultural content.

Meanwhile, from October 1 to 16, the 4th Gwangju International Performance Arts Festival will facilitate 12 plays including His Name is Othello, a joint Korean, Japanese and Chinese creation, and the Russian play, The Storm.

The festival will also include citywide street performances.