Summer School

2026

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The Lyon Biennale and the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Lyon are organizing their first International Summer School, designed for art students from around the world who are in the final stages of their artistic education (Master’s level or equivalent).

31·08·2026 - 5·09·2026

Two weeks before the opening of one of the world’s largest contemporary art biennials, students will have the opportunity to engage in masterclasses with international artists involved in the biennial, as well as with art world professionals.
The list of speakers & artists will be published in late May.

Programme

Social events will take place in the evenings, with a closing party at the Réfectoire des Nonnes, ENSBA Lyon’s art gallery.

10:30 am - 12:00 pm

Mornings will be dedicated to presentations and discussions with various professionals involved in the making of a biennial and/or in the contemporary art field (biennial curators, artistic directors, museum directors, production directors, technical directors, art historians, Lyon-based curators among others).

2:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Each afternoon, three masterclasses will be conducted concurrently by biennial artists, each with a group of nine students, and will also be open to other participating biennial artists.

To participate

Application deadline: June 4, 2026

Applications should include:
➡️ A portfolio (maximum 20 pages)
➡️ A letter of intention (maximum 2,000 characters) explaining the reasons for the application
📣 Results announced: June 25, 2026

Cost: €250 per person, including:

✅ Accomodation at CinéFabrique Lyon, a renowned film school (four-person rooms, kitchen, and 24/7 access).
✅ Lunch Travel to and from Lyon is at the participants’ expense.

Artistic and pedagogical direction: Catherine Nichols & Morgan Labar
Masterclass Leaders: 12 international artists participating in the 2026 Lyon Biennale
Students: 28 international students enrolled in an artistic curriculum

Selection committee

Oulimata Gueye - Art critic and curator, professor at ENSBA Lyon
Morgan Labar - Art historian and director of the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Lyon)
Catherine Nichols - Curator at Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, Berlin, and curator of the 18th Lyon Biennale
Isabelle Reiher - Director of IAC Villeurbanne
Margot Videcocq - Director of Les Subs, Lyon