by Busan Biennale
Undercurrents-Public Encounters
Sea Art Festival 2025 presents a diverse program of workshops, performances, and conversations designed to make contemporary art accessible to all. These events invite active participation, offering visitors of all ages the opportunity to explore ecological and artistic themes in direct contact with nature. From guided tours and kite-flying to snorkeling classes and intergenerational performances, the program fosters shared experiences and inclusive learning. It aims to connect communities through art, encouraging new ways of sensing and understanding the sea and its changing rhythms.
A total of 23 artists and collectives spanning 17 countries will exhibit in this year’s festival, titled Undercurrents: Waves Walking on the Water, to be held around Dadaepo Beach from September 27 to November 2, 2025.
September 2, 2025 – The Busan Biennale Organizing Committee has released the full list of participating artists for Sea Art Festival 2025 (September 27 – November 2, 2025), titled Undercurrents: Waves Walking on the Water and taking place on the picturesque shores of Busan. Led by co-artistic directors Keumhwa Kim and Bernard Vienat, the exhibition spans four continents, with 23 artists and collectives (38 artists in total) presenting site-specific works, performances, and related programs at various locations including Dadaepo Beach, Morundae, Gouni Ecological Trail, and the Dadae Incineration Plant.
Exploring “Undercurrents” through Various Genres
Grounded in the concept of “Undercurrents”, Sea Art Festival 2025 Undercurrents: Waves Walking on the Water delves into the invisible flows and ecological rhythms that lie beneath the surface of water. The topography of Dadaepo, where mountains, rivers, and the sea converge, becomes an ecological laboratory and a space of collective memory where unseen forces intersect. Twenty-three participating artists and collectives lead audiences into these hidden currents, transforming them into unforgettable sensory experiences through sculpture, installation, video, and performance.
The exhibition is co-directed by Keumhwa Kim and Bernard Vienat, with the assistance of Sara Kim, who contributed to the early planning of the festival and has been serving as a curatorial advisor. Together, Kim and Vienat—working between Berlin, Seoul, and Geneva—present an experimental and participatory exhibition that interweaves nature and art, rooted in the unique sense of place that defines Dadaepo. Installation of the works for Sea Art Festival 2025 will begin on September 8, followed by an official opening ceremony on September 26. The exhibition opens to the public on September 27. Further details can be found on the official Sea Art Festival 2025 website (https://www.saf2025.org/).
Full List of Participating Artists and Collectives
| No | Name | Nationality |
| 1 | Anna Anderegg | Switzerland |
| 2 | Antje Majewski | Germany |
| 3 | Art-Werk × (re)connecting.earth | Austria, Chile, China, France, Germany, Japan, Korea,Spain, Switzerland, Türkiye, USA |
| 4 | Diana Lelonek | Poland |
| 5 | Heike Kabisch | Germany |
| 6 | Hyeong-Seob Cho | Korea |
| 7 | Janine Antoni | Bahamas |
| 8 | Jeewi Lee & Phillip C. Reiner | Korea & Germany |
| 9 | Jin Lee | Korea |
| 10 | Marco Barotti | Italy |
| 11 | Marie Griesmar | Switzerland/France |
| 12 | Mathias Kessler and Ahmet Civelek | Austria & Türkiye/USA |
| 13 | Olaf Holzapfel | Germany |
| 14 | OMIJA | Korea |
| 15 | Paula Proaño Mesías | Ecuador |
| 16 | Plastique Fantastique | Italy/Germany & Korea |
| 17 | Raul Walch | Germany |
| 18 | Sangdon Kim | Korea |
| 19 | Seba Calfuqueo | Chile |
| 20 | Som Supaparinya | Thailand |
| 21 | Uriel Orlow | Switzerland/United Kingdom |
| 22 | Viron Erol Vert | Türkiye/Germany |
| 23 | Wonkyo Choi | Korea |
