Biennale en territoires

Since its inception, the Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art has been committed to developing artistic projects and outreach initiatives rooted in local communities. Developed in close collaboration with residents and users across the City of Lyon, its metropolitan area and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, these projects amplify diverse voices within groundbreaking creations alongside internationally renowned artists.

Long developed as a laboratory for socially engaged artistic practices, “Biennale en territoires” offers artists direct opportunities to engage with the realities they explore. It encourages new perspectives on daily life and existence more broadly, with the ultimate goal of creating the greatest possible permeability between art and life — for and with everyone.

For the 18th Lyon Biennale – Contemporary Art, collaborative territorial projects will examine the notion of economy and value across diverse local contexts, extending Catherine Nichols' curatorial vision.

With artist Akwasi Bediako Afrane, the economics of care and the major transformation challenges facing the Pavillon Jean Dechaume at Hôpital Saint Jean de Dieu — a key site of child and adolescent psychiatry in Oullins-Pierre-Bénite — will be explored alongside its healthcare professionals and patients. Meanwhile, alternative economies and mindful consumption lie at the heart of participatory actions taking place in a neighbourhood of Écully, marked since the mid-20th century by accelerated economic flows and the rise of mass consumption.

With Hana Miletić, connections are being woven between two regional territories — Lyon’s 9th arrondissement and Saint-Pierreville in Ardèche — once linked by textile-related economic transactions and a shared heritage. The project will notably highlight this community’s economic model, centred on the collaborative, eco-conscious preservation and valorisation of its living heritage.

Finally, with artist Rose Frigière, “Biennale en territoires” explores the collaborative, adaptive and complementary commercial dynamics of African hair salons in Lyon’s Moncey and Guillotière neighbourhoods. Through mobilising their professionals, clients and local residents, the project will examine broader forms of enlightened resistance to cultural norms and the economies of beauty.

Karine Tauzin,
Biennale en territoires manager