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16th Lyon Biennale: manifesto of fragility at Guimet Museum

December 21, 2022

Artists: Mohamad Abdouni, Gabriel Abrantes, Amina Agueznay, Remie Akl, Julio Anaya Cabanding, Giulia Andreani, Mali Arun, Dana Awartani, Clemens Behr, Nina Beier, Ailbhe Ní Bhriain, Lucile Boiron, Phoebe Boswell, Sarah Brahim, Leyla Cárdenas, Julian Charrière, Jean Claracq, Clément Cogitore, Nicolas Daubanes, Jose Dávila, Buck Ellison, Eva Fàbregas, Mohammed Al Faraj, Philipp Fleischmann, Léo Fourdrinier, Chafa Ghaddar, Olivier Goethals, Pedro Gómez-Egaña, Marta Górnicka, Nicki Green, Joana Hadjitomas & Khalil Joreige, Klára Hosnedlová, Nadia Kaabi-Linke, Néstor Jiménez, Annika Kahrs, Özgür Kar, Moham- med Kazem, kennedy+swan, Michelle & Noel Keserwany, Tarik Kiswanson, Nadine Labaki and Khaled Mouzanar, Hashel Al Lamki, Richard Learoyd, Hannah Levy, Randa Maroufi, Lucy McRae, Jesse Mockrin, Filwa Nazer, Eva Nielsen, Toyin Ojih Odu- tola, Hans Op de Beeck, Organon Art Cie, Daniel Otero Torres, Abdullah Al Othman, Daniel De Paula, Aurélie Pétrel, Sarah del Pino, Joanna Piotrowska, Christina Quarles, Omar Rajeh and Mia Habis, Erin M. Riley, Sara Sadik, Cemile Sahin, Ezster Salamon with the Jeune Ballet of the CNSMD Lyon (under the artistic direction of Kylie Walters), Ugo Schiavi, Markus Schinwald, Sylvie Selig, Seher Shah, Jeremy Shaw, Muhannad Shono, Taryn Simon, Kim Simonsson, Valeska Soares, Studio Safar, Young-jun Tak, Lucia Tallova, Philipp Timischl, Salman Toor, Evita Vasiljeva, Puck Verkade, WangShui, Munem Wasif, James Webb, Hannah Weinberger, Raed Yassin, Zhang Ruyi, Zhang Yunyao

Exhibition title: 16th Lyon Biennale manifesto of fragility

Curated by: Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath

Venue: Lyon Biennale, Guimet Museum, Lyon, France

Date: September 14 – December 31, 2022

Photography: all images copyright and courtesy of the artists and ©Lyon Biennale

Curated by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath, the 16th Lyon Biennale manifesto of fragility proceeds with the announcement of its curatorial framework, participating artists and institutional partners that will come together to realize the Biennale’s multifaceted exhibitions and programs.

CURATORIAL FRAMEWORK

Seeking opportunities for dialogue across historical, geographical and socio-political distances, manifesto of fragility will facilitate innovative, multidirectional possibilities for creative cooperation. These collaborative processes, which will already begin to unfold in the months leading up to the Biennale’s September 2022 opening in Lyon, will yield 50 new artistic commissions and productions within a decentralized program that will materialize across numerous sites. Many works will be adapted to the unique architectural contexts in which they will be shown, including several large-scale immersive installations. The Biennale will expand beyond its customary venues in Lyon into locations throughout the city in order to welcome the participation of the broadest possible public.

manifesto of fragility is structured along two distinct axes that function as complimentary conduits for the Biennale’s consideration of fragility: A horizontal, geographical line carries the contributions of 87 contemporary artists from 39 countries engaging with the topic of fragility in a wide range of artistic practices. A vertical, temporal line will deliver more than 100 historical artworks and objects spanning two millennia on loan from several diverse collections in Lyon and abroad. The Biennale posits a point of intersection between the two axes to initiate a focused exploration of fragility within the context of the dazzling yet tumultuous 1960s era of Beirut’s so-called Golden Age, featuring 230 artworks by 34 artists and more than 300 archival documents from nearly 40 collections worldwide. This section of the biennale acquires added poignance in Lyon, given the city’s historical entanglements with Beirut centred around the 19th century silk trade, and the establishment of the French Mandate in 1920.

ARTISTS

The artists taking part in the 16th Lyon Biennale bring diverse approaches to the focal theme of fragility that represent varied understandings of our current state of global uncertainty. The Biennale appeals to a broad coalition of international artists to share in building a nuanced patchwork of narratives illuminating moments of resilience in the face of social, political and environmental upheaval The artists gathered around the Biennale embody various faces of fragility, some in the issues they tackle, and others in the materials they use. What their works have in common is the potential to inform our thinking about generative paths of resistance.

manifesto of fragility emphasizes the importance of individual encounters in gaining insight into the circumstances that shape our contemporary realities. Many of the artists share an awareness of the architectural and historical specificities of their surroundings. This sensitivity allows for rigorous points of contact between coexisting identities, communities and histories that can activate dynamic societal changes. Seeking collaborative actions that can bridge divides and build communal responses to global conditions, the 16th Lyon Biennale engages an expansive network of artists practicing in cities across the globe, including: Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Basel, Beirut, Berlin, Bogota, Brussels, Cape Town, Casablanca, Copenhagen, Cork, Dhaka, Dubai, Geneva, Ghent, Guadalajara, Helsinki, Jeddah, Lagos, Lisbon, London, Los Angeles, Lyon, Madrid, Marrakesh, Marseille, New York, Oslo, Paris, Riga, Riyadh, San Francisco, São Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Stockholm, Strasbourg, Toulon, Vienna and Warsaw.

INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS

The 16th Lyon Biennale’s partnerships will create opportunities for multidimensional perspectives on institutional practices. Broadening the conversation to include a heterogeneous mix of institutions that often operate in similar yet distinct fields, the Biennale addresses a number of pressing issues related to the role of cultural institutions in an increasingly fragile world. By connecting institutions that act as custodians of artworks from different periods and geographies, the Biennale triggers imaginative resonances between the works of the participating contemporary artists and historical works, objects and artifacts. With expanded points of reference and additional resources for the creation of new works, these co-operations will engender more intricately and tightly interwoven networks of communication and support. This will benefit artists in their search for new, expansive terrains of inquiry.

The 16th Lyon Biennale will act as a nexus for the diverse publics of its different institutional partners. By appealing to a wide range of cultural interests, the Biennale will bring various audiences into dialogue with artistic positions that they might be less acquainted with. Additionally, the Biennale’s off-site venues embody unique architectural styles from different eras in Lyon’s history, creating compelling synchronicities between the artworks on display and the architectural and historical contexts. These ancillary sites generate dynamic possibilities for new encounters.

Through a combination of global, historical and contemporary perspectives, the assembled artists, institutions, and publics join the 16th Lyon Biennale to propose a manifesto of fragility that repositions vulnerability at the heart of a comprehensive global panorama of human perseverance.

Ugo Schiavi, Grafted Memory System, 2022, Installation, steel, plants, insects, CGI videos, fossils, bones, electric cables, horticultural LEDs, sound. Commissioned for the 16th edition of the Biennale de Lyon, Musée Guimet. Courtesy of the artist. With the support of Jacquet Métals Service, Alabama. With the kind collaboration of Laboratoire de Géologie, Université Lyon 1, Musée des Confluences, Lugdunum – Musée et théâtres romains ©Blandine Soulage

Kim Simonsson, Resting Mossgirl With Cassette Tape, 2022. Ceramic, nylon fiber, epoxy resin, rope, artificial plants, toys, electronic components, feathers, glass. 16th Lyon Biennial of Contemporary Art, Musée Guimet. Courtesy of the artist. With the support of Frame Contemporary Art Finland ©Blandine Soulage

Lucile Boiron, Mater, 2022, UV photographic prints on glass and Plexiglas, glass and silver prints. Commissioned for the 16th edition of the Biennale de Lyon, Musée Guimet. With the support of Galerie Hors Cadre, Modds, Pro Image Service, Diamantino Labo Photo ©Blandine Soulage

Leyla Cárdenas, Self-contained Withstander, 2022, Photograph sublimated on polyester silk then woven. Commissioned for the 16th edition of the Biennale de Lyon, Musée Guimet. Courtesy of the artist and Casas Riegner Gallery ©Blandine Soulage

Evita Vasiljeva, Impulse (J or Imp), 2020-2022, Interactive in situ installation, multi-channel sound, green lights, multiple motion sensors, electromagnetic microphones, contact microphones. 16th Lyon Biennial of Contemporary Art, Musée Guimet. Courtesy of the artist, With the support of Mondriaan Fonds, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in France ©Blandine Soulage

Mohammad Al Faraj, Sophia, 2018, Video installation, sound, multiple screens, 10’00”. Commissioned for the 16th edition of the Lyon Biennale, Musée Guimet. Courtesy of the artist and Athr Gallery. With the support of ATHR Foundation, Alabama © Blandine Soulage

Nadine Labaki & Khaled Mouzanar, Le Monde va à la guerre et moi j’en reviens, 2022, animated short film 5’30”, music, Indian ink and watercolor drawings by Jorj Abou Mhaya. Commissioned for the 16th edition of the Biennale de Lyon, Musée Guimet. Courtesy of Khaled Mouzanar, Nadine Labaki, Jorj A. Mhaya and Mooz Films. With the support of Alabama ©Blaise Adilon

Puck Verkade, Plague, 2019, Video installation, 5’00’ (looped), cardboard sculptures. Courtesy of the artist and Durst Britt & Mayhew. With the support of Mondriaan Fonds, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in France, the Goethe-Institut Lyon. 16th Lyon Biennial of Contemporary Art, Musée Guimet © Blaise Adilon

Raed Yassin, Azya’s Yassin, neon. Courtesy of the artist and Marfa’. With the support of the Goethe-Institut Lyon, Marfa’. 16th Biennial of Contemporary Art of Lyon, Musée Guimet © Blaise Adilon

Raed Yassin, Proposal for a Proposal, Embroidery on archival photographs. Courtesy of the artist and Marfa. With the support of the Goethe-Institut Lyon, Marfa. 16th Biennial of Contemporary Art of Lyon, Musée Guimet © Blaise Adilon

Raed Yassin, Princess of Oblivion. Courtesy of the artist and Marfa. With the support of the Goethe-Institut Lyon, Marfa’. 16th Biennial of Contemporary Art of Lyon, Musée Guimet © Blaise Adilon

Munem Wasif, Fragments of a lost legacy, 2007-2017, Found objects made of metal, paper, burlap. Courtesy of the artist / Project 88. With the support of the Samdani Art Foundation, Project 88. 16th Lyon Biennial of Contemporary Art. Fagor factories © Blaise Adilon

Munem Wasif, Machine Matter, 2007-2017. Video, black and white, 13’55” (looped). Courtesy of the artist / Project 88. With the support of the Samdani Art Foundation, Project 88. 16th Lyon Biennial of Contemporary Art. Usines Fagor © Blaise Adilon

Munem Wasif, Man Selling Jute, 2008, Inkjet print, wooden frame. Courtesy of the artist / Project 88. With the support of the Samdani Art Foundation, Project 88. 16th Lyon Biennial of Contemporary Art. Fagor factories © Blaise Adilon

Munem Wasif, Fragments of a lost legacy, 2007-2017, Found objects made of metal, paper, burlap, photography and Man Selling Jute, 2008, Inkjet print, wooden frame. Courtesy of the artist / Project 88. With the support of the Samdani Art Foundation, Project 88. 16th Lyon Biennial of Contemporary Art. Fagor factories © La Biennale de Lyon

Young-jun Tak, Wish You a Lovely Sunday, 2021, Single-channel HD video, color, 5-channel sound, 18’38”. 16th Lyon Biennial of Contemporary Art, Musée Guimet. Courtesy of the artist With the support of the Korean Cultural Center, Alabama © Vinciane Lebrun

Zhang Yunyao, Study for Figures, 2022, Pigment, acrylic, gel, sublimation printing on felt. Commissioned for the 16th edition of the Biennale de Lyon, Musée Guimet. Courtesy of the artist and Don Gallery, Shanghai. With the support of Don Gallery, Shanghai © Blaise Adilon

Zhang Yunyao, 2022. Graphite pencil on felt stretched on wood panelCourtesy of the artist and Don Gallery, Shanghai. With the support of Don Gallery, Shanghai. 16th Lyon Biennial of Contemporary Art, Musée d’histoire de Lyon – Gadagne © Blaise Adilon

Zhang Yunyao, 2022. Courtesy of the artist and Don Gallery, Shanghai. With the support of Don Gallery, Shanghai. 16th Lyon Biennial of Contemporary Art, Musée d’ histoire de Lyon – Gadagne © Blaise Adilon

Zhang Yunyao, 2022. Graphite pencil on felt pen stretched on wood panel. Courtesy of the artist and Don Gallery, Shanghai. With the support of Don Gallery, Shanghai. 16th Lyon Biennial of Contemporary Art, Musée d’histoire de Lyon – Gadagne © Blaise Adilon