Exhibition highlights young artists

The IAC (Institut d'art contemporain) in Villeurbanne is showcasing ten young artists as part of the 18th Biennale d'art contemporain de Lyon, titled Passer d'un rêve à l'autre. The exhibition, named Jeune création internationale, features five artists from the regional scene and five from international backgrounds, all presenting works that explore political themes through diverse mediums like installation, video, sculpture, drawing, and textiles.

Focus on emerging talent

Isabelle Reiher, director of the IAC, emphasized the goal of highlighting young artists who have recently graduated from art schools in the region. She noted that these artists often struggle to establish themselves professionally and build networks, making platforms like the IAC crucial for their development. The IAC, which also functions as a Frac (regional art center), can eventually add some of these works to its permanent collection.

Themes of movement and exchange

Curator Catherine Nichols explained that the exhibition’s theme revolves around circulation and transmission, sparking conversations about utopias, the movement of values, individual and social economies, and the exchange of ideas. These themes are reflected in the diverse and thought-provoking works on display.

Swedish artist explores industrial themes

The Swedish artist Maja Fredin presents two installations, Broiler (2024-2026) and Humonculi (2026), which examine industrial chicken farming and bodybuilding. Her work includes three headless body/chicken sculptures made of textile and silicone, adorned with heels, and human skeletons constructed from chicken bones she consumed after giving up her vegetarian diet.

Chinese artist delves into poppy history

Chinese artist Haonan He explores the history of the poppy through two works, Mandala-Cartographie (2024-2026) and Opium-Arium (2024-2026). In one room, three suspended mandala maps trace the poppy’s global journey over centuries, while in another, a triangular ceramic installation represents the poppy’s growth, surrounded by fragrant, light-filled smoke.

Korean artist questions digital fragility

Korean artist Yehwan Song’s Who Gets to Be Seen (2026) features pipes, reservoirs, fountains, and smartphones with web pages projected onto fragile cardboard structures. The work critiques the vulnerability of digital tools and the unseen forces shaping the internet, using flowing water to symbolize the movement of information.

Regional prize winner presents digital installation

Charles-Arthur Feuvrier Fok-Shan, winner of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regional prize, presents Pyramid 7 (2026), which includes five giant smartphone screens and an upside-down inflatable pyramid. The work references a real stone pyramid in Mauritius and incorporates testimonies from guards, blending pop culture, esoteric ideas, and social media-style narratives.

French-Iranian artist examines public space

Sirag Sesetyan, based between Lyon and Istanbul, presents Il n’est pas vraiment possible de ne pas penser à vous ici (2026), an architectural piece that questions how people navigate and observe public spaces. The installation includes a wooden platform with metal extensions and a plaster stray dog wrapped around a central stem, accompanied by music that enhances the sensory experience of the space.

Exhibition dates and location

The exhibition Jeune création internationale is open to the public until December 13 at the IAC in Villeurbanne.