Lyon Biennale 2024 explores river confluence theme with diverse installations and charged political works
The 17th Lyon Biennale, titled 'Les voix des fleuves, Crossing the Water,' is open until 5 January 2025, emphasizing the theme of water confluence. Artists engage with Lyon’s river landscape through installations in repurposed SNCF warehouses. Featured pieces include RIDE (2024) by Jérémie Danon and Kiddy Smile, Forever Reverb (2024) by Julien Discrit, Texture of Memory (2024) by Majd Abdel Hamid, Be Our Guest (2024) by Hilary Galbreaith, Hospitalité (2006) by Latifa Echakhch, and Au cas où #2 (2024) by Taysir Batniji. While the Institut d'art contemporain highlights new talent, MAC Lyon offers a less cohesive exhibition. The biennale interweaves lighthearted and serious political insights, despite its somewhat ambiguous curatorial approach.
Key facts
- The 17th Lyon Biennale runs until 5 January 2025
- Theme is 'Les voix des fleuves, Crossing the Water' focusing on river confluence
- Main exhibition occupies former SNCF railway warehouses
- Includes film RIDE (2024) by Jérémie Danon and Kiddy Smile about Black French experiences
- Features Palestinian artist Taysir Batniji's key photographs from Gaza refugees
- Moroccan artist Latifa Echakhch shows work about migrant ostracism
- Majd Abdel Hamid creates embroideries referencing Lyon's silk industry history
- Austrian collective Healthy Boy Band feat. Public Possession provides vending machines
Entities
Artists
- Jérémie Danon
- Kiddy Smile
- Julien Discrit
- Majd Abdel Hamid
- Hilary Galbreaith
- Latifa Echakhch
- Taysir Batniji
- Keith Haring
- Roy Orbison
- Wes Anderson
- Chantal Akerman
- Iván Argote
- Andrius Arutiunian
- Oliver Beer
- Alix Boillot
- Christian Boltanski
- Michel de Broin
- Pavel Büchler
- Mona Cara
- Malo Chapuy
- Nathan Coley
- Ansïs-Tohé Commaret
- Clément Courgeon
- Bastien David
- Jeremy Deller
- Ed Hall
- Hélène Delprat
- Edi Dubien
- Sylvie Fanchon
- Omer Fast
- Olivia Funes Lastra
- Robert Gabris
- Agnès Gayraud
- Ludivine Gonthier
- Juliette Green
- Tirdad Hashemi
- Soufia Erfanian
- Healthy Boy Band
- P.P.Vir Andres Hera
- Chourouk Hriech
- Gözde Ilkin
- Victoire Inchauspé
- Jesper Just
- Meri Karapetyan
- Ines Katamso
- Nadežda Kirćanski
- Lina Lapelytė
- Ange Leccia
- Seulgi Lee
- Clara Lemercier Gemptel
- Guadalupe Maravilla
- Florian Mermin
- Annette Messager
- Myriam Mihindou
- Sahil Naik
- Deimantas Narkevičius
- Grace Ndiritu
- Bocar Niang
- Jean-Christophe Norman
- Matthias Odin
- Nefeli Papadimouli
- Jennetta Petch
- Szymon Kula
- Liesl Raff
- Lorraine de Sagazan
- Sofía Salazar Rosales
- Hajar Satari
- Hans Schabus
- Shivay la Multiple
- Anastasia Sosunova
- Zuri Camille de Souza
- Feda Wardak
- Alexia Fabre
- Isabelle Bertolotti
Institutions
- Lyon Biennale
- SNCF
- Institut d'art contemporain
- MAC Lyon
- Cité internationale de la Gastronomie
- Healthy Boy Band
- Public Possession
- Canvas
- Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art
- Les Grandes Locos
- Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie
Locations
- Lyon
- France
- Gaza
- Morocco
- Palestine
- Austria
- North Africa
- Francophone Europe
- MENA countries
- Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes