South Korean artists in Gwangju are publicly siding with Taiwan after the biennale foundation quietly swapped the "Taiwan Pavilion" name for "NTMoFA" — bad news for the biennale's reputation, good news for Taiwan's standing among fellow artists.

• The Gwangju Biennale Foundation changed Taiwan's pavilion name without agreement, and 21 local arts groups signed a joint declaration standing with Taiwanese artists.
• Signatories question whether outside political pressure drove the decision — an obvious nod to Chinese sensitivities over Taiwan's name.
• Gwangju's national art association head Kim Hwa-soon called it deeply serious and said no one should be able to rename another country's pavilion at will, least of all in a city built on its democracy movement.
• Local artists say the affair is shameful and belongs to the biennale organizers, not Gwangju residents; some have pasted "Taiwan" over "NTMoFA" on posters around the city.
• With the show opening September 5, the row has drowned out attention for every other artist in the lineup.

Outlook: Gwangju arts groups are organizing collective action and pressing the foundation to reverse the name before opening day, and they say they will find a way to get the Taiwanese works in front of the public regardless.