18th Lyon Biennale Contemporary Art

09.19 – 12.13.26 To pass from one dream to another

• General Director: Cécile Bourgeat
• Artistic Director: Isabelle Bertolotti
• Curator: Catherine Nichols

PARIS, July 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ --

New Artists

45 new artists are invited to the next edition of the Lyon Contemporary Art Biennale, making a total of 118 artists for this 18th edition, which affirms its openness to a great diversity of practices, generations, and artistic territories.

• 118 artists (including 11 Young International Creation artists)
• 68% women artists
• 29% French artists
• 23% artists under 35 years old
• 65 creations and 12 new adaptations
• 42 nationalities represented: Germany, England (UK), Argentina, Armenia, Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cameroon, Canada, China, South Korea, Croatia, Scotland (UK), Spain, Estonia, United States, France, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Madagascar, Uganda, Palestine, Netherlands, Peru, Portugal, Republic of Mauritius, Sweden, Senegal, Syria, Togo, Turkey, Ukraine, Vietnam, Serbia.
• Visual identity: Zoo, graphic designers

45 new artists join the various Biennale venues:

Carla Adra, Yasmeen Al Daya, Monira Al Qadiri, Josefin Arnell, Ouassila Arras, Mercedes Azpilicueta, Leilah Babirye, Pascal Bernier, Manon de Boer & Latifa Laâbissi, George Brecht, Luz Broto, Laia Estruch, EVA & ADELE, Charles-Arthur Feuvrier Fok-Shan [JCI], Maja Fredin [JCI], Karlos Gil, Haonan He [JCI], Daphné Hérétakis, Gideon Horváth, Joyce Joumaa [JCI], Maxime Jean-Baptiste, Anda Kryeziu, Germaine Kruip, Marine Lanier*, Katya Lesiv, Michela de Mattei & Invernomuto, Mónica Mays, Annette Messager, Brilant Milazimi, John Miller, Katariin Mudist [JCI], Wilhelm Mundt*, Maria José Oliveira, Christelle Oyiri, An Paenhuysen, Joachim Pfeufer & Robert Filliou, Valentin Pinet [JCI], Éléonore Saintagnan, Sirag Sesetyan [JCI], Floraine Sintès [JCI], Yehwan Song [JCI], Thyself Agency, Can Yıldırım & Lalin Mercan [JCI].

[JCI] = Young International Creation (Jeune création internationale) Artists * Among the newly announced artists, Marine Lanier benefits from the support of Maison Ruinart for the presentation of her work within the framework of the Biennale. The presentation of Wilhelm Mundt's works is made possible thanks to the exceptional loan of works from the Société Générale collection, a partner of the Lyon Biennale.

→ Full list of artists at labiennaledelyon.com 

Young International Creation (Jeune Création Internationale)

2026 Edition: 11 artists to watch For over 20 years, Young International Creation has supported and revealed emerging artists at the heart of the Lyon Biennale. This unique program brings together a dozen artists from the regional and international scene at each edition, invited to produce new works in professional creation and exhibition conditions. Presented at the Institut d'art contemporain in Villeurbanne, this exhibition is a real springboard for the new generation of contemporary artists. The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region is the primary partner of this program.

Guest Curators for the International Selection:

• Mojeanne Behzadi | Curator | Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal (Canada)
• Caroline Gustafsson | Curator - Head of Exhibitions, Collection and Art Biennale | Borås Konstmuseum (Sweden)
• Kaarin Kivirähk | Head of Communication and Strategy | Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art (Estonia)
• Sten Ojavee | Curator | Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art (Estonia)
• Sooyon Lee | Curator | National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (South Korea)
• Ulya Soley | SAHA Curator | Hamburger Bahnhof - Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart (Germany)

New Venue: Cour des Loges Lyon

The Lyon Biennale reveals an 11th exhibition venue: Cour des Loges Lyon, A Radisson Collection Hotel joins the official route.

The Lyon Biennale enriches its artistic route with the arrival of an exceptional eleventh exhibition venue in the heart of Old Lyon. A true Renaissance jewel, nestled in the 5th arrondissement and emblematic of the history of Lyon's traboules, this heritage site becomes a new setting for contemporary creation.

With its majestic Florentine courtyard, its suspended passageways, and its seven centuries of history, the Cour des Loges echoes the theme of this edition, To pass from one dream to another. A place of passage, meetings, and the circulation of ideas since the Renaissance, it extends the experience offered by the Biennale by inviting visitors to discover contemporary art in a space where heritage, memory, and imagination enter into dialogue.

A Biennale Deployed Across Several Emblematic Venues

• Les Grandes Locos
• Musée des Tissus et des Arts décoratifs [New Venue]
• macLYON - Musée d'art contemporain de Lyon
• Institut d'art contemporain / Frac Rhône-Alpes

Including free-access installations and projects:

• Musée des Confluences
• Traboules of the Croix-Rousse
• Fondation Bullukian
• Saint-Antoine LPA Parking
• Garden of the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon
• Part-Dieu B Subway Station
• Cour des Loges Lyon, A Radisson Collection Hotel [New Venue]

Practical Information

Pro Days

"The preview days of the 18th Lyon Biennale – Contemporary Art will take place on 17 and 18 September 2026.

Admission is by accreditation only and also grants access to the opening on the evening of the 18th." 

Presales: Early Birds

From Monday, June 29 to Wednesday, July 15, 2026, the Biennale Pass is offered at a preferential rate of €20 instead of €25. Undated, it grants one-time access to the four main paid exhibition venues (Les Grandes Locos, Musée des Tissus, macLYON, IAC). Information and presales: labiennaledelyon.com

Press Contacts

National and International Press: Agence Claudine Colin Communication / FINN Partners (Harry Ancely & Pénélope Ponchelet)
Local and Regional Press: Laura Lamboglia

Address: La Biennale de Lyon Les Grandes Locos 25 ter quai Pierre Sémard 69 350 La Mulatière

Images:

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About:

Artprice by Artmarket and La Demeure du Chaos/Abode of Chaos are partnering with the 18th Lyon Biennale, curated by Catherine Nichols and under the artistic direction of Isabelle Bertolotti.

This collaboration brings together two major players in the art world, both deeply rooted in Lyon while maintaining a strong international outlook. For more than forty years, the Lyon Biennale has supported the evolution of contemporary art and helped establish the Lyon metropolitan area as a leading platform for artists, art professionals, and audiences from around the world. Artprice, the global leader in art market information, has for many decades documented the transformations of the international art scene and the careers of the artists who shape it.

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Contact: thierry Ehrmann, [email protected]