Korea's premier ceramics festival invites visitors to touch clay

The 2026 Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale is offering hands-on community events at Icheon Cerapia in Gyeonggi Province this autumn. Through Nov. 1, visitors can mold clay, join treasure hunts and take part in photo contests, snacks and outdoor activities. The biennale connects Korea’s ceramic heritage with contemporary art across venues in Icheon, Gwangju and Yeoju.

The clay stacking challenge takes place three times daily on weekends and public holidays at the Gyeonggi Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art’s outdoor plaza.

Teams have 20 minutes to mold and stack raw clay, with gift vouchers awarded to the teams that build the tallest structures without collapse.

The Find Ceramics in the Museum scavenger hunt uses QR codes and quizzes, with prizes including gold coins and museum gift certificates.

The biennale’s three regional hubs are Icheon Cerapia, Gwangju Gonjiam Ceramic Park and Yeoju Dojasesang.

Icheon is associated with Joseon-era white porcelain and Goryeo celadon because of its clay deposits and historic kiln sites.

Published Oct 9, 2026 7:00 am KST

Gyeonggi ceramics biennale offers games, hands-on events

A promotional poster for the 2026 Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale / Courtesy of Korea Ceramic Foundation

Visitors to one of Asia’s foremost ceramic celebrations are doing much more than admiring gallery displays this autumn — they are sinking their hands into wet clay and embarking on interactive treasure hunts.

At Icheon Cerapia, the main hub of the 2026 Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale, the Korea Ceramic Foundation has launched a series of hands-on community events running through Nov. 1. Designed to make traditional and contemporary ceramic arts approachable for general audiences, the weekend festivities invite families, couples and art lovers to actively participate in the creative process.

Located in Gyeonggi Province, just an hour south of Seoul, Icheon has served as the heartland of Korean pottery for centuries. The region played a pivotal role in the production of Joseon-era white porcelain and Goryeo celadon, leveraging its rich natural clay deposits and historic kiln sites. Today, the Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale bridges cultural heritage with modern artistic expression, drawing ceramicists and collectors from around the globe.

Among the standout interactive highlights is the clay stacking challenge, held three times daily on weekends and public holidays at the Gyeonggi Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art's outdoor plaza. Teams have 20 minutes to mold and stack raw clay as high as possible without it collapsing. The tallest structures win gift vouchers. Registration opens on-site one hour prior to each session for same-day ticket holders.

For gallery goers looking to test their observation skills, the "Find Ceramics in the Museum" program offers a digital scavenger hunt. Visitors scan QR codes inside the exhibition halls to complete quizzes by locating specific pieces, earning chances to win prizes ranging from gold coins to museum gift certificates.

The festival grounds also feature social media photo contests, complimentary local street snacks and outdoor picnic zones outfitted with beanbag chairs for enjoying the crisp autumn air.

"We hope visitors engage with the exhibition beyond visual observation by directly touching the clay and searching for works across our venues," said Ryu In-kwon, chief executive of the Korea Ceramic Foundation.

The biennial celebration continues across three regional hubs — Icheon Cerapia, Gwangju Gonjiam Ceramic Park, and Yeoju Dojasesang — through Nov. 1.

More information is available at gcbiennale.org .

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

2026年京畿道国际陶瓷双年展将于今年秋季在京畿道利川陶瓷中心（Icheon Cerapia）举办一系列互动式社区活动。截至11月1日，参观者可以体验陶艺制作、参与寻宝游戏、摄影比赛，并享用小吃和体验户外活动。本次双年展将韩国陶瓷传统与当代艺术相结合，在利川、光州和骊州三个城市举办。

周末和节假日，京畿道现代陶瓷美术馆的户外广场每天举行三次粘土堆叠挑战赛。

各队有 20 分钟的时间来塑形和堆叠生粘土，建造最高且不倒塌结构的队伍将获得礼品券。

“在博物馆里寻找陶瓷”寻宝游戏使用二维码和问答题，奖品包括金币和博物馆礼券。

双年展的三个区域中心分别是利川陶瓷园、光州昆池岩陶瓷公园和骊州陶艺馆。

利川因其粘土矿藏和历史悠久的窑址，与朝鲜时代的白瓷和高丽时代的青瓷联系在一起。

发布于2026年10月9日 上午7:00（韩国标准时间）

京畿道陶瓷双年展提供游戏和互动体验活动

2026年京畿道陶瓷双年展宣传海报 / 图片由韩国陶瓷基金会提供

今年秋天，参观亚洲最重要的陶瓷节之一的游客们不仅仅是在欣赏画廊里的展品——他们还亲手触摸湿粘土，参与互动寻宝活动。

在2026年京畿道国际陶瓷双年展的主要举办地——利川陶瓷中心，韩国陶瓷基金会推出了一系列互动式社区活动，活动将持续到11月1日。这些周末活动旨在让普通观众更容易接触到传统和当代陶瓷艺术，邀请家庭、情侣和艺术爱好者积极参与到创作过程中。

位于京畿道，距首尔仅一小时车程的利川，几个世纪以来一直是韩国陶瓷的中心。该地区凭借其丰富的天然黏土矿藏和历史悠久的窑址，在朝鲜时代白瓷和高丽青瓷的生产中发挥了举足轻重的作用。如今，京畿国际陶瓷双年展将文化遗产与现代艺术表达相结合，吸引着来自世界各地的陶艺家和收藏家。

其中最引人注目的互动活动之一是黏土堆叠挑战赛，该挑战赛在京畿道现代陶瓷美术馆的户外广场举行，周末和节假日每天举办三场。参赛队伍需要在20分钟内将生黏土塑形并堆叠成尽可能高的结构，且不能倒塌。最高的作品将赢得礼品券。持当日门票的观众可在每场活动开始前一小时现场报名。

对于想要测试自己观察力的参观者来说，“在博物馆里寻找陶瓷”项目提供了一个数字寻宝游戏。参观者扫描展厅内的二维码，通过寻找特定的陶瓷作品来完成问答，就有机会赢取从金币到博物馆礼券等各种奖品。

节日场地还设有社交媒体摄影比赛、免费当地街头小吃和配备豆袋椅的户外野餐区，供人们享受清爽的秋日空气。

韩国陶瓷基金会首席执行官柳仁权表示：“我们希望参观者能够超越视觉观察，直接触摸陶土，并在我们各个展馆中寻找作品，从而更深入地参与到展览中来。”

两年一度的庆祝活动将在三个区域中心——利川陶瓷园、光州昆池岩陶瓷公园和骊州陶器厂——持续到 11 月 1 日。

更多信息请访问 gcbiennale.org。

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。