Bonifacio Biennial De Renava Turns Party into Political Revolt

The third edition of the De Renava contemporary art biennial in Bonifacio, Corsica, runs from May 23 to November 5, 2026, under the theme "Nimu Dormi" ("Nobody Sleeps"). Curated by childhood friends Prisca Meslier, Dumè Marcellesi, and Basile Isitt, the biennial transforms forgotten heritage sites—including a former nightclub, a 12th-century Genoese cistern, and the abandoned Montlaur barracks—into venues for 12 international and 6 local artists. Inspired by sociologist Michel Maffesoli's concept of the "Dionysian era," the exhibition frames festivity as political insubordination. Highlights include Adel Abdessemed's video of the Corsican hymn "Dio vi salvi Regina" at the Agora nightclub; Tony Regazzoni's "Bande Organisée" installation with mopeds and helmets in the cistern; and Pussy Riot's videos of their 2012 "Punk Prayer" performance, which led to their imprisonment, displayed near the Bonifacio church. At Montlaur barracks, a 34-block light installation flashes a cryptic text on party as pirate utopia. Nkisi's drums create spectral echoes of colonial sound suppression, while Marseille collective Ivalala reconstructs a clandestine occupied house from lockdown. The biennial is structured as a four-movement opera: "Ouverture," "Prélude," "Actes," and "Triomphe."