Biennale des Jeunes Créateurs de Mulhouse

A Quarter Century Serving Young Creation

The Biennale des Jeunes Créateurs de Mulhouse was founded in 2001 by the cultural department of the City of Mulhouse, with the ambition of becoming an observatory and a springboard for European contemporary young creation. Initially annual, the event became biennial starting in 2008, allowing for more in-depth selection and preparation. Since its inception, over 1,500 artists from French and European art schools have been presented, making this event one of the most important showcases for emerging art in France.

MOTOCO: An Industrial Setting for Contemporary Art

Since 2021, the Biennale has been held at MOTOCO (“More To Come”), located in building 75 of the historic DMC companies site, in the heart of the eponymous Mulhouse district. This artistic production space, created in 2012 in a 9,000 m² red brick building, is one of the largest artist collective workshops in Europe. The exhibition spans two floors of the building: the ground floor features a scenography specially designed for the event, while the first floor allows for installations within the studios of resident artists. This exceptional setting, rich in industrial history and creativity, perfectly embodies the encounter between heritage and contemporary creation.

A Rigorous Selection Process

Each edition involves a call for applications open to young artists who have graduated or are in their final year at French and European art schools. For the 16th edition (Mulhouse 025), 41 artists were selected from 140 applications, representing 27 art schools, including 24 in France, two in Italy, and one in Monaco. This process ensures the quality and diversity of artistic proposals, covering the entire spectrum of contemporary practices: painting, sculpture, installation, photography, video, performance, and digital arts.

Alongside Art Basel: A Strategic Positioning

The Biennale is held every odd year in June, alongside Art Basel, the international contemporary art fair held in Basel, just 30 km from Mulhouse. This strategic positioning in the international art calendar allows the Biennale to benefit from increased visibility among art professionals—gallerists, curators, critics, and collectors—who flock to the region for Art Basel. It positions Mulhouse as a complementary hub dedicated to artistic emergence, in contrast to the Basel fair, which focuses on the established art market.

European and Cultural Partnerships

The Biennale is supported by a network of leading cultural partners. The Haute École des Arts du Rhin (HEAR), the Kunsthalle de Mulhouse, La Filature — Scène nationale, the Casino Luxembourg — Forum d'art contemporain, and the Centre culturel français de Fribourg-en-Brisgau contribute to the event's programming and dissemination. These partnerships anchor the Biennale in the cross-border dynamics of the Upper Rhine region and give it a resolutely European dimension. Prizes and awards are presented at each edition, and an exhibition catalogue is distributed free of charge to the public.