The 18th edition of the Lyon Biennale, titled "Passer d’un rêve à l’autre" (Moving from One Dream to Another), will run from September 19 to December 13, 2026. Curated by Catherine Nichols, an Australian-born art historian and editor based in Berlin, the biennial will take place across ten venues in Lyon, including the Grandes Locos, macLyon, and for the first time the Musée des Tissus et des Arts décoratifs. More than half of the works will be new productions, and over half of the artists are women, with a substantial focus on Oceanian artists such as Timo Hogan, Jazz Money, and Kaylene Whiskey. The exhibition draws inspiration from Lyon's traboules (hidden passageways) and the writings of artist Robert Filliou, exploring themes of dreams, critical analysis, and a "poetic economy."
This edition matters because it signals a continued effort to ground a major international biennial in local architectural and social history while also foregrounding underrepresented voices, particularly from Oceania and female artists. The curatorial emphasis on a "new economic imaginary" and "poetic economy" reflects a growing trend in contemporary art toward rethinking economic and social structures. With a budget of eight million euros and a strong commitment to site-specific, newly commissioned works, the Lyon Biennale remains a key event in the global contemporary art calendar, potentially reshaping how biennials engage with both local identity and postcolonial narratives.