2026 Lyon Biennale Showcases Record 16 Australian Artists, Curated by Catherine Nichols
Scheduled from 19 September to 13 December 2026, the 18th Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art showcases 120 artists, including 16 from Australia. Curated by Catherine Nichols, the event's theme, 'passing from one dream to another,' draws inspiration from Walter Benjamin's Arcades Project. Among the Australian participants are Serwah Attafuah and Mikala Dwyer. With a budget of €8 million (around AU$13 million), Creative Australia contributes $100,000 for the Australian artists. Additionally, the French Australian Cultural Exchange Foundation offers Visual Arts Resonance Grants to five artists, while six First Nations artists receive support from Fondation Opale. This notable Australian representation reflects increasing interest from European collectors, despite challenges such as travel expenses. Artists from New Zealand are also involved.
Key facts
- The 2026 Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art is the 18th edition and runs from 19 September to 13 December 2026.
- 16 out of 120 exhibiting artists are Australian, a record number, up from one or two in previous editions.
- The curator is Australian-born, Berlin-based Catherine Nichols, who themed the biennale 'passing from one dream to another'.
- Creative Australia provided $100,000 through its Arts Projects for Organisations grant program to support the Australian artists.
- The French Australian Cultural Exchange Foundation (FACEF), launched in 2024, supports five Australian artists through its Visual Arts Resonance Grants.
- Fondation Opale, founded in 2018 by Bérengère Primat, supports six Australian First Nations artists and holds the largest private collection of Australian Indigenous art with over 1900 works.
- Art Paris 2027 will feature Australia as guest of honour, with around 10 Australian commercial galleries as first-time guests, curated by Daria de Beauvais.
- The biennale's total budget is €8 million (approximately AU$13 million).
Entities
Artists
- Mikala Dwyer
- Serwah Attafuah
- Yuriyal Eric Bridgeman
- Angela Goh
- Matthew Harris
- Timo Hogan
- Kirtika Kain
- Mai Nguyen-Long
- Ida Lawrence
- Nicholas Mangan
- Angelica Mesiti
- Hayley Miller-Baker
- Jazz Money
- Tina Stefanou
- Thea Anamara Perkins
- Kaylene Whiskey
- Luke Willis Thompson
- Sriwhana Spong
- Fiona Clark
- Catherine Nichols
- Walter Benjamin
- Birke Gorm
- Bérengère Primat
- Daria de Beauvais
- Cybèle Panagiotou
- Elizabeth Ann Macgregor
- Stephen A Russell
- Jo Pickup
- Archie Roach
- Kylie Minogue
Institutions
- Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art
- Creative Australia
- French Australian Cultural Exchange Foundation (FACEF)
- Fondation Opale
- Art Paris
- Palais de Tokyo
- Australian Financial Review
- Le Monde
- ArtsHub
- ScreenHub
- 1301SW
- Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery
- ADAGP
- Vivien Anderson Gallery
- Back to Back Theatre
- Festival d'Automne
- Rencontres d'Arles
- Grand Palais
- Australian Embassy
- Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award
- Australian Performing Arts Museum
- Artisan
- HOTA
- Fremantle Arts Centre
- STRUT dance
- Aboriginal Arts Centre Hub of WA
- Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)
- ABC
- RTRFM
- The West Australian
Locations
- Lyon
- France
- Australia
- Berlin
- Germany
- Paris
- Lens
- Northern France
- Western Desert
- Spinifex Lands
- Western Australia
- Melbourne
- Perth
- Gold Coast
- Queensland
- Britain
- Oceania
- Arles