Lyon Contemporary Art Biennale

The Lyon Contemporary Art Biennale: over thirty years of international influence

Since its creation in 1991, the Lyon Contemporary Art Biennale has established itself as one of the major events on the global art scene. The first edition, titled 'L'Amour de l'Art' (The Love of Art), already aimed to make Lyon a key hub for contemporary creation, at the crossroads of European and international avant-gardes.

An artistic journey across the metropolis

Each edition of the Biennale transforms the city into a vast open-air museum. Exhibitions unfold in several emblematic locations: the macLYON (Museum of Contemporary Art), designed by Renzo Piano in the heart of Cité Internationale, the Institut d'art contemporain de Villeurbanne, the Fondation Bullukian, and heritage or industrial sites used for the occasion, such as the Grandes Locos during the 17th edition in 2024.

The route invites visitors on a stroll through different neighborhoods, mixing monumental installations, videos, paintings, sculptures, and performances. Each edition is led by an internationally renowned curator who imposes their vision and guiding theme.

The 17th edition: 'The Voices of Rivers'

The 17th Biennale, held from September 21, 2024, to January 5, 2025, had the theme 'Les Voix des Fleuves / Crossing the Water'. It explored the links between water, territories, and cultures through the eyes of artists from around the world, in a route spread across the Grandes Locos, macLYON, Musée Guimet, and other spaces in the metropolis.

An event supported by a major associative structure

The Lyon Biennale is supported by an association chaired by Laurent Bayle, with Isabelle Bertolotti as artistic director for contemporary art. Supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, the Lyon Metropolis, and the City of Lyon, it benefits from a network of institutional and private partners that guarantee its global reach.

Lyon, capital of contemporary art

With the Biennale, Lyon asserts its status as a European capital of contemporary art, alongside Venice, Kassel, and São Paulo. The event generates considerable cultural and tourist momentum, attracting collectors, gallerists, art critics, and enthusiasts from around the world to the capital of Gaul.