Lyon Contemporary Art Biennale
One of the largest international contemporary art events
2026
About Biennale de Lyon
Biennale de Lyon — edition 2026
The 18th Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art, titled "To pass from one dream to another," runs from September 19 to December 13, 2026, across eleven venues throughout the Lyon metropolitan area. The exhibition is curated by Catherine Nichols, curator at the Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin, alongside artistic director Isabelle Bertolotti. The official lineup features 117 artists. Professional preview days are scheduled for September 17 and 18.
18th Biennale — "To pass from one dream to another" (September 19 to December 13, 2026)
The 18th Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art opens on Saturday, September 19, 2026, and runs until Sunday, December 13. Press preview days are held from September 16 to 18, with professional days on September 17 and 18 (by accreditation). The artistic direction is led by Isabelle Bertolotti, with curatorial duties handled by Catherine Nichols, art historian and curator at the Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart in Berlin.
The title, "To pass from one dream to another," is inspired by Lyon's famous traboules—the hidden passageways that cut through courtyards and buildings. Drawing on the writings of Walter Benjamin and Robert Filliou’s Principles of Poetic Economy, Catherine Nichols explores the concept of economy beyond its monetary definition, focusing on the forms of care, attention, relationships, and imagination that shape collective life. The exhibition is structured around three thematic entry points: the industrial at the Grandes Locos, the relational at the Musée des Tissus et des Arts décoratifs, and the existential at the macLYON.
The official artist list includes 117 names and remains subject to change. Featured artists include Laure Prouvost, Annette Messager, Pol Taburet, Angelica Mesiti, Susan Philipsz, Monira Al Qadiri, Thu-Van Tran, Mikhail Karikis, and Nicholas Mangan. This edition places a special emphasis on scenes from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and the Asia-Pacific region, with nearly half of the international artists hailing from the European Union.
The exhibition spans eleven venues: the Grandes Locos in La Mulatière, the macLYON, the Musée des Tissus et des Arts décoratifs, the Institut d'art contemporain in Villeurbanne, the Musée des Confluences, the traboules of the Croix-Rousse slopes, the Musée des Beaux-Arts garden, the Fondation Bullukian, the LPA Saint-Antoine parking garage, the Gare Part-Dieu metro station (Line B), and the Cour des Loges. Five of these sites are free to access. The Musée des Tissus, currently closed for renovations, is reopening specifically for the duration of the event with support from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region.
Highlights Biennale de Lyon 2026
- 18th edition, "To pass from one dream to another," curated by Catherine Nichols with artistic direction by Isabelle Bertolotti
- 117 artists announced, including Laure Prouvost, Annette Messager, Pol Taburet, Angelica Mesiti, Susan Philipsz, Monira Al Qadiri, and Thu-Van Tran
- Eleven venues across the metropolis, five of which are free to access
- The Musée des Tissus et des Arts décoratifs, closed for renovations, reopens for the Biennale
- A 10,000 m² hall at the Grandes Locos in La Mulatière dedicated to monumental works
- Late-night openings until 9:30 PM on Fridays, October 9, November 13, and December 11
Programme Biennale de Lyon 2026
Dates and Opening Hours
- From Saturday, September 19 to Sunday, December 13, 2026, closed on Mondays
- Tuesday to Friday: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM — opens at 9:30 AM for groups with booked guided tours
- Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
- All Saints' holidays, Tuesday, October 20 to Friday, October 30: 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
- Public holidays: Sunday, November 1 and Wednesday, November 11, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
- These hours apply to the Grandes Locos, the macLYON, and the Musée des Tissus; other venues have their own schedules, detailed below
- Late-night openings from 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM: Thursday, October 1 at the Musée des Tissus et des Arts décoratifs; Fridays, October 9, November 13, and December 11 at the Grandes Locos, which will be open from 11:00 AM to 9:30 PM on those days
- Press days from Wednesday, September 16 to Friday, September 18 and professional days on Thursday, September 17 and Friday, September 18, by accreditation only
The Eleven Exhibition Venues
- Les Grandes Locos — 10 rue Gabriel Péri, 69350 La Mulatière. Former railway workshops inaugurated in 1846, used as an SNCF technical center until 2019; the Biennale occupies a 10,000 m² hall here for monumental works. Metro B, Gare d'Oullins stop (3 min walk), bus 15, TER Lyon–Saint-Étienne, Gare d'Oullins stop. No on-site parking; three accessible parking spaces on rue Gabriel Péri.
- macLYON – Museum of Contemporary Art — 81 quai Charles de Gaulle, 69006 Lyon. Tuesday to Friday 11:00 AM-6:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday 10:00 AM-7:00 PM, closed Mondays. Bus C1, C4, C5, Musée d'art contemporain stop. Located in the Renzo Piano building at the Cité Internationale.
- Musée des Tissus et des Arts décoratifs — 34 rue de la Charité, 69002 Lyon. Closed to the public for renovations, the museum reopens exceptionally for the Biennale. Metro A, Ampère-Victor Hugo or Perrache stop, tram T1 and T2, Perrache stop.
- IAC – Institut d'art contemporain / Frac Rhône-Alpes — 11 rue Docteur Dolard, 69100 Villeurbanne. Wednesday to Friday 2:00 PM-6:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday 1:00 PM-7:00 PM, closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Bus C3, Institut d'art contemporain stop. Hosts the "Jeune création internationale" exhibition. Two access ramps at the entrance, all areas wheelchair accessible.
- Musée des Confluences — 86 quai Perrache, 69002 Lyon. The Biennale Pass grants access to the museum's 2nd floor and permanent collections.
- Traboules of the Croix-Rousse slopes — access via 10 rue d'Austerlitz, 69004 Lyon. Free access. Passageways once used by silk workers (canuts) to transport fabrics while staying dry; some traboules are only open during the day. Metro C, Croix-Rousse or Croix-Paquet stop.
- Musée des Beaux-Arts Garden — 20 place des Terreaux, 69001 Lyon. Free access. Former 17th-century cloister of the Saint-Pierre Abbey. Open 10:00 AM-6:00 PM, 10:30 AM-6:00 PM on Fridays, closed Tuesdays. Metro A, Hôtel de Ville stop.
- Fondation Bullukian — 26 place Bellecour, 69002 Lyon. Free access. Tuesday to Saturday 11:00 AM-6:00 PM, closed Sundays and Mondays. Metro A and D, Bellecour stop.
- LPA Saint-Antoine Parking Garage — 1 quai Saint-Antoine, 69002 Lyon. Free access, open 24/7. Features an intervention by performance artist Ndayé Kouagou.
- Metro B Station – Gare Part-Dieu — boulevard Vivier Merle, 69003 Lyon. Open from 4:45 AM to 12:45 AM.
- Cour des Loges, A Radisson Collection Hotel — 6 rue du Bœuf, 69005 Lyon. Free access. Florentine-style courtyard with suspended walkways, located in Old Lyon.
The 117 Artists
Official list published by the Biennale, subject to change. The distribution of works by location has not been published.
Carla Adra, Akwasi Bediako Afrane, Yasmeen Al Daya, Monira Al Qadiri, Lara Almarcegui, Joël Andrianomearisoa, Josefin Arnell, Ouassila Arras, Serwah Attafuah, Mercedes Azpilicueta, Leilah Babirye, Béatrice Balcou, Eva Barto, Lucy Beech, Pascal Bernier, Rossella Biscotti, Manon de Boer, George Brecht, Barbara Breitenfellner, Yuriyal Eric Bridgeman, Luz Broto, Sara Sejin Chang (Sara van der Heide), Fiona Clark, Lúa Coderch, Léa Collet, June Crespo, cyan, Edith Dekyndt, Huong Dodinh, Yana Nafysa Dombrowsky M’Baye, Mikala Dwyer, Laia Estruch, EVA & ADELE, Charles-Arthur Feuvrier Fok-Shan, Robert Filliou, Florian Fouché, Maja Fredin, Rose Frigière, Karlos Gil, Angela Goh, Birke Gorm, Núria Güell, Alice Guy, Oda Haliti, Archana Hande, Matthew Harris, Haonan He, Daphné Hérétakis, Timo Hogan, Ngahina Hohaia (Taranaki Iwi, Te Atiawa, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Mutunga, Parihaka), Gideon Horváth, Invernomuto, Maxime Jean-Baptiste, Joyce Joumaa, Jelena Jureša, Lucia Kagramanyan, Kirtika Kain, Mikhail Karikis, Ndayé Kouagou, Germaine Kruip, Anda Kryeziu, Latifa Laâbissi, Perrine Lacroix, Maureen Lander (Ngāpuhi, Te Hikutū), Marine Lanier, Ida Lawrence, Katya Lesiv, James Lewis, LYL Radio, Kokou Ferdinand Makouvia, Nicholas Mangan, Michela de Mattei, Mónica Mays, Angelica Mesiti, Annette Messager, Brilant Milazimi, Hana Miletić, Hayley Millar Baker, John Miller (Ngāpuhi), Jazz Money, Katariin Mudist, Wilhelm Mundt, Mai Nguyễn-Long, Maria José Oliveira, Christelle Oyiri, An Paenhuysen, Manfred Paul, Thea Anamara Perkins, Joachim Pfeufer, Susan Philipsz, Valentin Pinet, Laure Prouvost, raumlaborberlin, Miguel Rothschild, Éléonore Saintagnan, Selma Selman, Erwan Sene, Sirag Sesetyan, Igor Simić, Floraine Sintès, Yehwan Song, Sriwhana Spong, Tina Stefanou, Mette Sterre, Michael Stevenson, Pol Taburet, Huda Takriti, Tsuneko Taniuchi, Ashleigh Taupaki (Ngāti Hako, Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāti Kahungunu), Thyself Agency, Minh Lan Tran, Thu-Van Tran, Álvaro Urbano, Kaylene Whiskey, Luke Willis Thompson, Can Yıldırım & Lalin Mercan, Candrani Yulis.
Jeune création internationale — IAC, Villeurbanne
Ten projects by emerging artists—five from the regional scene and five from the international scene—produced on-site at the Institut d'art contemporain: Charles-Arthur Feuvrier Fok-Shan, Maja Fredin, Haonan He, Joyce Joumaa, Katariin Mudist, Valentin Pinet, Sirag Sesetyan, Floraine Sintès, Yehwan Song, and the duo Can Yıldırım & Lalin Mercan. Vernissage on Thursday, September 17, where the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region will present the "Prix Jeune création Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes" to one of the five regional artists.
Tours and Workshops
- Guided Tour — September 26 to December 13, at the Grandes Locos, macLYON, and the Musée des Tissus. Duration 1h30, ages 12+. 3 € + Pass.
- Family Tour — September 26 to December 13 at 2:30 PM, at the Grandes Locos, Musée des Tissus, and macLYON. Duration 1h15, ages 6+. 3 € + Pass.
- Aperitif Tour — On late-night opening evenings at 7:15 PM at the Grandes Locos, September 19 to December 13. Guided tour followed by a shared aperitif with the group: a drink and vegetarian platters. Duration 2h. 14 € + Pass.
- Technical Tour — September 19 to December 13, behind the scenes of the installation with the technical director and a mediator. Duration 2h, ages 15+. 10 € + Pass.
- Children's Workshop Tour — At the Grandes Locos from September 27 to December 13, Sundays at 3:00 PM, and during school holidays on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 3:00 PM. For ages 6-10, duration 2h30. 10 €.
- Workshop Tour for All — At the Grandes Locos on Sundays, October 25, November 1, and December 13, and Wednesday, November 11, at 3:00 PM. Ages 6+, duration 2h30, led by two guest artists. 10 € per person + Pass.
- Toddler Tour — Storytelling tour without parents, for ages 3-5, at the Grandes Locos from October 20 to November 1 at 10:30 AM. Duration 1h. 10 €.
- Guided Tour in Plain Language — Adapted for people with learning disabilities and non-native speakers, at the Grandes Locos on Sundays, October 11 and November 15 at 11:30 AM. Duration 1h. 3 € + Pass.
- LSF (French Sign Language) Tours — With Martin Dutrait, deaf cultural mediator: Saturday, October 17 at 10:30 AM at the Grandes Locos, Saturday, November 28 at 1:00 PM at the Musée des Tissus, Thursday, December 3 at 6:00 PM at the IAC. Duration 2h. 3 €.
- LSF Performance Workshop — In November and December 2026, for deaf and hard-of-hearing signers and hearing people who know sign language. Specific dates not yet published.
- Audioguide — 3 €, for the Grandes Locos, macLYON, and the Musée des Tissus.
- Flâneuses — Mobile anti-fatigue chairs available for free loan without reservation at the Grandes Locos and the Musée des Tissus, in exchange for an ID. One chair can carry up to two children.
Biennale in the Territories
Four collaborative projects conducted with local residents and users, centered on the theme of economy.
- Akwasi Bediako Afrane — The economy of care and the transformation of the Jean Dechaume pavilion at the Saint-Jean-de-Dieu hospital in Oullins-Pierre-Bénite, with medical staff and patients.
- Hana Miletić — Connections between the lower 9th arrondissement of Lyon and Saint-Pierreville in the Ardèche, two regions once linked by the textile industry.
- Rose Frigière — Work with African hair salons in the Moncey and Guillotière neighborhoods of Lyon, focusing on the economies of beauty.
- Participatory actions on alternative economies and sustainable consumption in an Écully neighborhood.
Around the Biennale
- "Musée sentimental" — September 11, 2026 to March 14, 2027 at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon. Exhibition co-organized with the Centre Pompidou on the practice of collecting among artists, featuring Art & Language, Delphine Balley, Ben, Christian Boltanski, George Brecht, André Breton, Marcel Broodthaers, Mark Brusse, Joseph Cornell, Erik Dietman, Philippe Droguet, Marcel Duchamp, Étienne-Martin, Hans-Peter Feldmann, André Félix, Hervé Fischer, Christian Jaccard, Géraldine Kosiak, Laura Lamiel, La S Grand Atelier collective, André Masson, Annette Messager, Jean-Luc Moulène, Gabriel Orozco, Jean-Luc Parant, Jean-Pierre Raynaud, Pierre Révoil, Fleury Richard, Sarkis, Max Schoendorff, Sylvie Selig, Daniel Spoerri, and Henri Ughetto. Co-curated by Sophie Duplaix, Sylvie Ramond, and Isabelle Bertolotti.
- Résonance — A regional program created in 2003 that unites art centers, galleries, cultural institutions, and artist collectives across Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes around the Biennale. 400 events in 2024.
- Mikhail Karikis Workshop — "We Are Together Because…", held from June 27 to 29, 2026, at the Grandes Locos with young people aged 12 to 25. The resulting polyphonic work, blending photography, video, sound, and performance, is on display during the Biennale.
Prices Biennale de Lyon 2026
Presale from Monday, August 31 to Friday, September 17, 2026: the Pass is 20 € instead of 25 €.
The Pass is not date-specific. It is valid from September 19 to December 13, 2026, and grants one-time access to each of the 4 paid venues: the Grandes Locos, the macLYON, the Musée des Tissus et des Arts décoratifs, and the IAC in Villeurbanne.
Reduced price (18 €): under 26s, unemployment benefit recipients, City of Lyon culture card holders, large family card holders, education pass holders, contemporary art professionals, Maison des artistes members.
Free: under 15s, students in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, art students, CMI card holders (+ 1 companion if indicated), RSA, ASS, AAH, or API benefit recipients, Lyon City Card holders, ICOM, IBA, and CIMAM card holders.
Audioguide: 3 €, for the Grandes Locos, macLYON, and the Musée des Tissus.
Free access, no Pass required: traboules of the Croix-Rousse slopes, Musée des Beaux-Arts garden, Fondation Bullukian, LPA Saint-Antoine parking garage, and Cour des Loges.
At the Musée des Confluences, the Pass grants access to the 2nd floor and permanent collections.
Tours and workshops: from 3 € to 14 € in addition to the Pass depending on the format, 10 € for children's workshops.
Practical information — Biennale de Lyon
Access
macLYON: 81 quai Charles de Gaulle, 69006 Lyon. Take bus C1, C4, or C5 to the 'Musée d'art contemporain' stop. Tramway T1 stops at 'Cité Internationale'. Drop-off zone available on quai Charles de Gaulle; free parking is located in front of the Centre des Congrès, 50 quai Charles de Gaulle.
Les Grandes Locos: 10 rue Gabriel Péri, 69350 La Mulatière. Take Metro line B to 'Gare d'Oullins', use the Rhône exit, then walk for 3 minutes. Bus 15 stops at 'Gare d'Oullins'; buses 63, 120, C7, and C10 stop at 'Pont d'Oullins'. TER train (Lyon–Saint-Étienne line) stops at 'Gare d'Oullins'. No on-site parking: street parking is available around the Gare d'Oullins, with three accessible parking spaces on rue Gabriel Péri.
2026 Ticket Prices
The Biennale Pass is undated and grants one-time entry to each of the four paid venues: Grandes Locos, macLYON, the Musée des Tissus et des Arts décoratifs, and the Institut d'art contemporain de Villeurbanne.
- Full price: 25 €
- Reduced price: 18 € — for visitors under 26, unemployment benefit recipients, City of Lyon culture card holders, large family card holders, education pass holders, contemporary art professionals, and Maison des artistes members.
- Free admission: visitors under 15, students from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, art students, CMI card holders (plus one companion if specified), RSA, ASS, AAH, or API benefit recipients, Lyon City Card holders, and ICOM, IBA, and CIMAM card holders.
- Audio guide: 3 €, available for Grandes Locos, macLYON, and the Musée des Tissus.
Five venues are free to access without a Pass: the traboules of the Croix-Rousse slopes, the Musée des Beaux-Arts garden, the Fondation Bullukian, the LPA Saint-Antoine parking lot, and the Cour des Loges.
Ticketing
Available online at labiennaledelyon.com or on-site at the exhibition venues. For inquiries, call 04 27 46 65 65.
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.
Where does it take place — Biennale de Lyon
Biennale de Lyon in brief
History of Biennale de Lyon
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