Paris – September 10, 2026 -- The 18th Lyon Biennale – Contemporary Art will open exclusive professional preview days on September 17 and 18, 2026, granting accredited industry figures early access to 120 artists and 400 works across 11 venues before the exhibition opens to the public on September 19.
Accreditation deadline falls September 16 for art-world professionals
Curators, gallerists, museum directors, collectors and cultural-institution staff must apply for personal accreditation by September 16, 2026, to secure entry to the two-day preview. The pass also unlocks the September 18 opening reception at Les Grandes Locos and access to all Biennale venues during the first two public days, September 19-20.
Exhibition runs through December 13 across 11 sites in Lyon's metropolitan area
Titled "Passer d'un rêve à l'autre / To pass from one dream to another," the edition is directed by Isabelle Bertolotti with guest curator Catherine Nichols, under General Director Cécile Bourgeat. The show spans nearly three months, closing December 13, 2026, and uses Lyon's traboule passageways as a conceptual thread linking three anchor venues -- Les Grandes Locos, macLYON and the Musée des Tissus et des Arts décoratifs -- alongside eight additional sites including a metro station, a parking structure and a hotel.
Biennale Pass priced at €20 through September 18 before public rate applies
Advance ticket sales offer the Biennale Pass at €20, down from the standard €25, with the discount available only until September 18, 2026.
Artprice pairs biennale partnership with 1,800-page open-access AI text
Artprice, alongside La Demeure du Chaos/Abode of Chaos, is partnering with the Biennale while separately releasing "Dialogue Between a Thinker and AI," a 1,800-page open-access typescript authored by Thierry Ehrmann exploring memory, art, humanism and artificial intelligence. The text is distributed as a free-to-access work rather than a commercial product.