Eva Nielsen: Manifesto of Fragility16th Biennale de Lyon, Lyon, France
Manifesto of Fragility is structured along two distinct axes that function as complimentary conduits for the Biennale’s consideration of fragility. 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. A horizontal, geographical line carries the contributions of more than 80 contemporary artists from 39 countries engaging with the topic of fragility in a wide range of artistic practices.
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.
Curated by Sam Bardouil and Till Felrath
