Seoul Mediacity Biennale names Irini Papadimitriou artistic director for 2027 edition

Irini Papadimitriou has been appointed artistic director of the 14th Seoul Mediacity Biennale, scheduled to open in August 2027 in Seoul. Her proposed theme, “Machines of Repair,” will examine technology’s links to power, surveillance, resource extraction and social inequality, and consider how technological systems might serve the public. The exhibition will include artworks and public programs questioning the values behind technological progress. The Seoul Museum of Art plans to present the biennale’s central concepts and curatorial direction at a pre-biennale forum in November.

Papadimitriou is exhibitions director at Diriyah Art Futures in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Her previous roles include digital program manager at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, head of new media art development at Watermans and creative director at FutureEverything.

Her curatorial projects include AI: Who’s Looking After Me? at Science Gallery London in 2023, Plásmata: Bodies, Dreams, and Data in Athens in 2022 and You and AI: Through the Algorithmic Lens in Athens in 2021.

The museum’s international open call attracted 70 proposals from curators and researchers across six continents.

Judges assessed proposals for originality, feasibility and relevance to the biennale’s identity and Seoul’s urban context.

Published Oct 23, 2026 11:22 am KST

Irini Papadimitriou / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

A curator whose work explores the uneasy relationship between art, technology and society will lead the 14th Seoul Mediacity Biennale, bringing a critical examination of artificial intelligence (AI) and technological power to Seoul’s flagship international art event.

Irini Papadimitriou, a curator and creative director specializing in contemporary art, new media and digital culture, has been appointed artistic director of the biennale, which is scheduled to open in August 2027, the Seoul Museum of Art said.

Papadimitriou’s proposed theme, “Machines of Repair,” will examine how technology intersects with power, surveillance, resource extraction and social inequality, while exploring how technological systems might be redirected toward public benefit.

The exhibition will bring together artworks and public programs that question the values underpinning technological progress and imagine alternatives to systems built around control and domination.

Papadimitriou previously served as digital program manager at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, head of new media art development at Watermans and creative director at FutureEverything.

She is currently exhibitions director at Diriyah Art Futures in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Her curatorial projects include “AI: Who’s Looking After Me?” at Science Gallery London in 2023, “Plásmata: Bodies, Dreams, and Data” in Athens in 2022 and “You and AI: Through the Algorithmic Lens” in Athens in 2021.

She also served as artistic director of the 2023 Sea Art Festival in Busan, giving her direct experience with Korea’s contemporary art scene.

The museum selected Papadimitriou through its third international open call for an artistic director, which attracted 70 proposals from curators and researchers across six continents.

The selection process included document reviews and interviews, with judges assessing the originality, feasibility and relevance of proposals to the biennale’s identity and Seoul’s urban context.

The museum said the appointment would help expand the biennale’s engagement with contemporary social issues and connect diverse cultural perspectives.

Papadimitriou said she would build on the event’s history of critical dialogue between art and technology, creating space to debate how technology could serve the public good.

The museum plans to introduce the biennale’s central concepts and curatorial direction at a pre-biennale forum in November.

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

伊里尼·帕帕迪米特里乌（Irini Papadimitriou）被任命为第十四届首尔媒体城市双年展的艺术总监，该双年展计划于2027年8月在首尔开幕。她提出的主题“修复机器”（Machines of Repair）将探讨技术与权力、监控、资源开采和社会不平等之间的联系，并思考技术系统如何服务于公众。展览将包括质疑技术进步背后价值的艺术作品和公共项目。首尔市立美术馆计划于11月举办双年展预展论坛，介绍双年展的核心理念和策展方向。

帕帕迪米特里乌 (Papadimitriou) 是沙特阿拉伯利雅得 Diriyah Art Futures 的展览总监。

她之前的职位包括伦敦维多利亚和阿尔伯特博物馆的数字项目经理、沃特曼斯的新媒体艺术开发主管以及 FutureEverything 的创意总监。

她的策展项目包括 2023 年在伦敦科学馆举办的“人工智能：谁在照顾我？”展览、2022 年在雅典举办的“Plásmata：身体、梦想和数据”展览以及 2021 年在雅典举办的“你和人工智能：透过算法的视角”展览。

该博物馆面向全球的公开征集活动吸引了来自六大洲策展人和研究人员的 70 份提案。

评委们从原创性、可行性以及与双年展的特色和首尔的城市背景的相关性等方面对提案进行了评估。

发布于2026年10月23日上午11:22（韩国标准时间）

Irini Papadimitriou / 由首尔市政府提供

一位策展人的作品探索了艺术、科技与社会之间不安的关系，他将执导第 14 届首尔媒体城双年展，为首尔的旗舰国际艺术盛会带来对人工智能 (AI) 和技术力量的批判性审视。

首尔市立美术馆宣布，专攻当代艺术、新媒体和数字文化的策展人兼创意总监伊里尼·帕帕迪米特里乌已被任命为双年展的艺术总监，该双年展计划于 2027 年 8 月开幕。

帕帕迪米特里乌提出的主题“修复机器”将探讨技术如何与权力、监视、资源开采和社会不平等交织在一起，同时探索如何将技术系统重新导向公共利益。

本次展览将汇集艺术作品和公共项目，质疑支撑技术进步的价值观，并设想围绕控制和统治而建立的系统的替代方案。

帕帕迪米特里乌此前曾担任伦敦维多利亚和阿尔伯特博物馆的数字项目经理、沃特曼斯的新媒体艺术开发主管以及FutureEverything的创意总监。

她目前是沙特阿拉伯利雅得迪里耶艺术未来中心的展览总监。

她的策展项目包括 2023 年在伦敦科学馆举办的“人工智能：谁在照顾我？”、2022 年在雅典举办的“Plásmata：身体、梦想和数据”以及 2021 年在雅典举办的“你和人工智能：透过算法的视角”。

她还担任了 2023 年釜山海洋艺术节的艺术总监，从而直接接触到韩国当代艺术界。

该博物馆通过第三次国际公开征集艺术总监的方式选定了帕帕迪米特里乌，此次征集吸引了来自六大洲策展人和研究人员的 70 份提案。

评选过程包括文件审查和面试，评委们会评估提案的原创性、可行性以及与双年展的特色和首尔的城市背景的相关性。

博物馆表示，这项任命将有助于扩大双年展对当代社会问题的关注，并将不同的文化视角联系起来。

帕帕迪米特里乌表示，她将延续该活动在艺术与科技之间开展批判性对话的历史，创造空间来讨论科技如何服务于公共利益。

博物馆计划在 11 月的双年展预热论坛上介绍双年展的核心理念和策展方向。

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。