Preparations are well underway for the 2025 Sea Art Festival, which will take place at Dadaepo Beach from September 27 to November 2.
This year marks the festival’s return to Dadaepo for the first time in six years, and organizers have revealed the exhibition’s final theme and a partial list of participating artists.
The official theme, “Undercurrents: Waves Walking on Water,” reflects the unseen ecological and cultural forces shaping the world beneath the surface.
The term “undercurrents” suggests invisible flows, both literal and metaphorical, while the subtitle presents waves as living entities in motion. Initially titled “Vibrating Waves,” the theme was revised to better capture the relationship between art and the natural rhythms of the sea, sound, wind, and human interaction.
Hosted by the Busan Biennale Organizing Committee, the festival will feature 24 domestic and international artists (or teams), with 13 already announced. Works will be installed not only on the beach but also at sites that reflect the area’s evolving landscape, such as the Dadaepo Incinerator and the former Molun Coffee Shop, adding historical and environmental context to the exhibition.
Highlights among the artists include:
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Seva Calpuqueo (Chile) – A Mapuche artist and curator known for works on gender, ecology, and indigenous resistance, with past exhibitions at the Venice Biennale and Tate Modern.
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Cho Hyeong-seop (Korea) – A Busan-based artist exploring vanishing urban spaces, with an installation planned for the Dadaepo Incinerator.
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Anna Anderegg (Switzerland) – A dancer engaging public spaces and local communities, preparing a performance with local women known as “ajimaes” of Dadaepo.
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Olaf Holzapfel (Germany) – An artist using architectural forms to explore boundaries and interconnection.
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Plastic Fantastic (Korea/Italy/Germany) – An art duo researching eco-friendly architectural materials, including biodegradable seaweed.
Other participating artists include Marie Grisma (Switzerland), Raoul Balhi (Germany), Lee Jibyul, Kim Sang-don, Choi Won-kyo (Korea), and Som Supaparinya (Thailand).
More information about the festival and artist lineups can be found on the official Sea Art Festival YouTube channel.
