Every town wants its own contemporary art biennale

"112 contemporary art biennales now exist in the world. The multiplication is exponential, testifying to the rampant globalisation of contemporary art. In June, the action is centred in Europe, with Venice, Kassel and Münster. But now the phenomenon has spread across the planet", notes Emmanuelle Lequeux. "Lyon, Berlin, Istanbul, Moscow, Sharjah, Turin, Shanghai, Havana, Sidney, Dakar, Taipei, and even Ushuaia... One loses count of the towns and cities that now host these mega exhibitions and the phenomenon appears to be expanding at a steady pace, especially in Asia... ... The stakes? They go far beyond aesthetics, becoming political, geo-strategic, and economic. If towns are so enchanted by biennales, it is because they do wonders for their image. ... Showing that a town is part of the international game is an important mission for a biennale. Like the English, contemporary art has become a universal language."

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