17th Lyon Biennale — The Voices of the Rivers Crossing the water

Professional days: 18, 19 and 20 September 2024

Press day: 17 September 2024

Artistic director: Isabelle Bertolotti
Guest curator: Alexia Fabre

Entitled Les voix des fleuves Crossing the Waterthe 17th edition of the Lyon Biennial invites artists to explore and question the relationship between individuals and their environment. This project draws on the natural and human geography of the area, as well as on the spirit of the Biennale’s new venues, such as the Grandes Locos and the Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie. Historically, macLYON is the site most closely linked to the Biennial, and all these venues evoke the themes of hospitality and human relations. They carry with them the history, diversity and invention of community practices. The walls of these spaces bear witness to the lives and work of those who frequented them, evoking rituals of conviviality and modes of coexistence.

Artists are invited to echo the unique voices of these places, revealing their stories and social characteristics. These spaces, dedicated to construction, repair, care and hospitality, illustrate a multitude of destinies and forms of relationship, whether traditional, innovative or aspirational.

Although otherness may seem risky, we consider it a necessary risk, a source of discovery and enrichment. Rivers and streams carry with them tales of trade, encounters and rare resources like salt, as well as stories of conquest and discovery. Human relationships can take many different paths, from contestation to confluence. Our hope is to create a space for debate and self-invention, in dialogue with others.

Join us from Saturday, September 21, 2024 to Sunday, January 5, 2025 to discover the artists of this edition!

The venues of the biennial:

• The Great Locos.
• Museum of Contemporary Art of Lyon (MACLyon)
• Garden of the Museum of Fine Arts
• The International City of Gastronomy of Lyon — Grand Hôtel-Dieu
• Bullukian Foundation
• IAC – Institute of Contemporary Art, Villeurbanne/Rhône-Alpes
• LPA Saint Antoine car park
• Metro station B — Gare Part-Dieu
• Gallo-Roman Museum of Saint-Romain-en-Gal — Rhône Department