Arts & performanceCheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do

Cheongju Craft Biennale 2023 in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea

청주공예비엔날레 2023

Sep – Oct2023
1 –15
Fri–Sun 10:00–19:00
Past edition

1 September 2023 to 15 October 2023 · 10:00–19:00

This edition has ended. It is kept as a record of what the 2023 festival offered. The current information is on the Cheongju Craft Biennale page (2 Sep – 31 Oct 2027).

Venue this year. The whole Culture Factory (about 120,000 m²) for the first time, plus the outdoor plaza, Dongbu Warehouse and a linked show at MMCA Cheongju.

Dates1 Sep – 15 Oct 2023
Hours10:00–19:00
VenueCulture Factory (Munhwa Jejochang), the former Cheongju tobacco plant충청북도 청주시 청원구 상당로 314 (내덕동)
AdmissionAdult: ₩12,000 · Youth: ₩8,000
Previous edition2021: 8 Sep – 17 Oct 2021
Next edition2025: 4 Sep – 2 Nov 2025

Program

  • 31 Augopening ceremony on the Culture Factory's outdoor plaza; 15 Oct 19:00: closing ceremony
  • Main exhibition 'Map of Things: Craft, connect, make and love the world' (사물의 지도), artistic director Kang Jae-young
  • Guest country Spain, about 150 works under the theme 'Soul+Matter'
  • Cheongju International Craft Competition (₩143 million in prizes); grand prize to Ko Hye-jeong for 'The Wishes'
  • Children's biennale, group craft workshops, a citizens' festival with weekly craft markets, docent tours five times a day by reservation, and an AI audio guide via QR code

Prices

ItemPriceNote
Adult₩12,000On site; ₩10,000 in advance (advance sales from 24 May 2023)
Youth₩8,000On site; ₩6,000 in advance
Child₩6,000On site; ₩4,000 in advance

Notes on the 2023 edition

13th edition, 45 days, 57 countries and about 3,000 works; about 300,000 visitors. The dates were first published on 10 June 2022 with the 2023 competition call.

About the festival

The Cheongju Craft Biennale (청주공예비엔날레) is an international contemporary-craft exhibition held every two years since 1999 and, since 2011, at the Culture Factory, a converted tobacco plant in Cheongju, North Chungcheong. The 15th edition is planned for 2 September–31 October 2027, according to the organizer's 2027 competition notice; the 2025 edition ran 60 days, 10:00–19:00 and closed on Mondays, and drew more than 400,000 visitors. Tickets in 2025 cost ₩12,000 for adults (₩8,000 youth, ₩6,000 children); 2027 prices have not been announced. From Seoul, express buses reach Cheongju in about 1 h 52 m (₩14,000), then a city bus or taxi takes you to the Culture Factory.

Transport, booking, crowd and accessibility details are on the main Cheongju Craft Biennale page, which covers every edition.

Source

Facts checked
19 October 2026, against the sources listed below.

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