Artprice News: D-12 | 18. BIENNALE VON LYON - ZEITGENÖSSISCHE KUNST

Twelve days before opening to the public, the 18th Lyon Biennale – Contemporary Art is preparing to welcome artists, contemporary art professionals, collectors, institutions, and members of the international art scene for two professional visitor days on Thursday, September 17, and Friday, September 18, 2026.

From Saturday, September 19, the Biennale will then open its doors to all visitors, offering exhibitions for almost three months at eleven venues in Lyon and the greater Lyon area – until December 13, 2026.

TWO DAYS FOR CONTEMPORARY ART PROFESSIONALS

On the eve of the public opening, the Biennale de Lyon invites the French and international art scene to two preview days for professional visitors, offering an exclusive first look at its 18th edition. Artists, curators, gallerists, directors of museums and art centers, collectors, as well as professionals working in cultural institutions and in the fields of production, mediation, communication, and research are invited to be in Lyon on September 17 and 18.

Professional visitor accreditation includes: exclusive access to the exhibition venues during the professional visitor days on September 17 and 18; access to the opening ceremony of the 18th Lyon Biennale – Contemporary Art on Friday, September 18, at Les Grandes Locos; access to all Biennale venues on the first two days of public opening, September 19 and 20. Accreditation is personal and mandatory for access to the professional visitor days. Applications can be submitted up to and including Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

Apply for professional visitor accreditation: https://www.labiennaledelyon.com/espaceprofessionnel/accreditation-faq

Program for the professional days: https://www.labiennaledelyon.com/espaceprofessionnel/journees-professionnelles-programmes?compact=1

Meetings, discussions with artists, opportunities for exchange, and professional events will mark these two days. The program notably includes international encounters and networking events at Les Grandes Locos, as well as a series of discussions bringing together artists and professionals from various international art scenes.

Contact for the Professional Office [email protected] +33 (0)4 27 46 65 67

FROM SEPTEMBER 19 – THE BIENNALE IS OPEN TO ALL

From Saturday, September 19, to Sunday, December 13, 2026, the 18th Lyon Biennale – Contemporary Art invites the public to discover a new artistic map of Lyon and the greater Lyon area. Titled “Passer d’un rêve à l’autre / From one dream to another,” this 18th edition is under the artistic direction of Isabelle Bertolotti and curated by Catherine Nichols. Inspired by Lyon’s “Traboules” – passageways through courtyards and buildings that connect one space with another – the Biennale explores how we can move from one way of perceiving to another, and perhaps from one collective dream to another.

Drawing on Lyon’s history as a city of trade, production, circulation of goods, and exchange, this edition highlights the economic systems that govern our lives: the way human and more-than-human beings acquire, transform, share, and circulate the material and immaterial resources that enable life. 11 VENUES TO EXPERIENCE THE CITY DIFFERENTLY With 120 artists and 11 exhibition venues, this year’s Bi...