In 1991, art historian Thierry Raspail and Thierry Prat created the Lyon Contemporary Art Biennial, which as its name implies takes place in odd years alternating with the Dance Biennial created in 1984.
It is a single association that designs, produces and organises these two great events. This international cultural gathering offers unique support to contemporary artistic creativity as well as a whole new generation of artists, helping to publicise their work. It is based on a relevant theme: history (1991 to 1995), global (1997 to 2001), temporality (2003 to 2007), transmission (2009 to 2013), and the 2015 event launched a new trilogy based on the word "modern". All artistic disciplines are represented: painting, sculpture, photo and video.
The Biennial is made up of three separate platforms: the international exhibition spread across four to six places including the Contemporary Art Museum and La Sucrière on Quai Rambaud, La Veduta, a cultural laboratory with exhibitions and artists' residencies, and Résonance, the biennial's fringe event, devoted to the Rhône-Alpes art scene with performances and concerts.
The festival provides a showcase for over five-hundred artists from all over the world - painters, sculptors, photographers and video-makers - with 250,000 visitors coming to discover their work.
