Canada Pavilion brings Indigenous vision of peace to Gwangju Biennale

Sep 9, 2026

JEONNAM-GWANGJU SPECIAL METROPOLITAN CITY — The Canadian Pavilion at the Gwangju Biennale doesn’t pull any punches with its theme, “Do you carry great peace,” nor does the theme of the biennale itself, “You Must Change Your Life.” But rather than an abstract demand for change, the question the pavilion poses is quite specific, and one that few would be able to quickly answer. Canadian Ambassador to Korea Philippe Lafortune gave an explanation in his opening address at the Lee Kang Ha Museum in Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, Sept. 5. “The title of this exhibition, Skennen'kó:wa ken? — Do You Carry Great Peace? — comes from a Kanien'kehá:ka daily greeting rooted in a philosophy of peace, mutual recognition and respect," Lafortune said. "It is more than a greeting. It is also a question, one that asks each of us what we carry forward into our communities and into our relationships with one another." The national pavilion features the works of Hannah Claus, Shelley Niro and Melissa General, three artists of Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) heritage. “Within Haudenos

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