Voucher Lyon Biennale is for visual artists with a professional practice of at least one year. The contribution is intended to boost the international position of visual artists from the Netherlands and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom by encouraging their presence at important international events.
About the 17th Lyon Biennial
Founded in 1991, the Lyon Biennale is a leading international contemporary art exhibition and a major art event in France. In 2022, the biennale attracted nearly 280,000 visitors. Artists from many countries – including the Netherlands – show their work here. The biennial therefore acts as a springboard for new exhibitions at other international art platforms.
Guest curator for the 17th edition is Alexia Fabre (director Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris). This edition of the Lyon Biennale focuses on human relationships and the contemporary issues underlying them such as hospitality. Artists from different backgrounds and at different points in their careers are invited to share their interpretation and vision on this theme.
The exhibition will be spread across different locations in the city, with Les Grandes Locos (Former SNCF workshop at La Mulatière) and macLYON as the main venues in 2024.
Click here for more information.
Who is eligible?
Visual artists with a professional practice of at least one year from the Netherlands or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. The selection procedure aims for a good mix of age, background, gender and discipline.
For what?
The contribution is intended to boost the international position of visual artists from the Netherlands and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom by encouraging their presence at important international events. The Mondriaan Fund offers visual artists the opportunity to gain insight into the field of international visual arts, strengthen their own international network and support them in their international profile. The Mondriaan Fund is making 20 travel vouchers available for the preview and opening (from September 17 to 22) of the upcoming Lyon Biennale in 2024.
How much?
Receiving this grant includes tickets to the preview and opening of the Lyon Biennale and a hotel stay during the visit from September 17 to 22. Additionally, the Mondriaan Fund contributes to travel costs to and from Lyon. Maximum €300 for air travel or maximum €400 for train travel. The contribution for travel costs to and from Lyon for visual artists based in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is a maximum of €1,400. This is because travel costs from the Caribbean are higher.
There are 20 tickets available for the preview programme courtesy of the Lyon Biennale.
How and when to apply?
Visual artists can submit an application until 7 March 2024 16.00 (Dutch time)/ 11.00 (time zone of the Caribbean part of the kingdom of the Netherlands) via the “Open Call Manifestation” application form.
You can request an account on the website, which you will need to submit an application. The applications are assessed by an advisory committee. Contributions from the Mondriaan Fund cannot be awarded retroactively. Those selected will receive notification of their application in May.
Conditions
- You have worked as a professional visual artist for at least 1 year.
- As an artist, you must be artistically active and embedded in the professional visual arts in the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
- You will be present in Lyon at least from September 17 to 22 during the preview days and will be present at the activities organised by the Mondriaan Fund and the meet-up organised by the Dutch embassy.
- You will stay from September 17 to 22, 2024 in the hotel that the Mondriaan Fund has reserved for you.
- Afterwards you will make a written evaluation of your visit to the Lyon Biennale.
Assessment
This will be based on the artist’s CV, motivation and website (if there is no website, then e.g. Instagram), the quality of the practice, the international potential of the artist, and the relevance and urgency of possible participation are assessed.
Employees of the fund make a shortlist based on your CV, motivation and website (if no website, e.g. Instagram) and submit it to the committee. The committee has insight into the complete list and has the option to put artists who are on the long list on the agenda. The advisory committee also assesses your application based on your CV, motivation and website (if no website, e.g. Instagram). The committee makes the final selection. Those selected will receive notification of their application in May.
An information meeting for the selected artists will take place at the Mondriaan Fund on Friday, June 14, 2024.
Applications are assessed on the following criteria:
- Quality of your artistic performance;
- International potential;
- The relevance of the visit for the internationalisation of your practice and the broadening of your international network.
In your motivation, at least the following aspects must be described:
- How this visit contributes to the internationalisation of your practice and the broadening of your international network.
- Who you hope to meet during the visit.
Checklist
In order to process your application, the Mondriaan Fund needs information: data that you can enter in the application form plus documents that you can upload. Below you will find a checklist that follows the layout of the application form.
Tip: Collect the information before you start filling out the online application form. You can upload the attachments as PDFs. Please note: make sure that your documents meet the stated conditions. Otherwise we will unfortunately not be able to process your request. Do not exceed the number of pages where a maximum is indicated.
Checklist
Motivation (max. 1 page)
Explain your motivation, why it is of added value for you to be present during the preview and opening of the 17th Lyon Biennale. Indicate how this visit can contribute to the internationalisation of your practice and the broadening of your international network. The visit to the biennial is organised primarily to strengthen your international network. It is important that you indicate in your motivation who you hope to meet and why this visit is relevant for your internationalisation and your professional development.
CV (max. 2 pages)
Upload the most important data about your professional practice, with an emphasis on the last 1 to 4 years. Consider exhibitions (indicate: solo or group), manifestations, assignments, prizes, publications, possible sales, stating years. Also mention any additional activities, such as teaching positions, advisory and committee positions.
If applicable:
Extract Personal Records Database
Do you not have Dutch nationality? Please enclose a recent extract (not older than 1 year) from the population register.
Bank details and/or Chamber of Commerce Extract
We need your bank account number to transfer the amount if your application is approved. If you have not previously submitted an application to the Mondriaan Fund or if the account number has changed since the previous application, please upload a recent bank statement clearly stating the name of the account holder and IBAN/bank account number of the applicant. Applicants located in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom can provide a bank statement or other document from the bank showing the account holder’s name and bank account number.
Do you have a business account number for your own sole proprietorship? Please also upload a recent extract from the Chamber of Commerce (not older than 3 months), so that we can determine that the account number is linked to a sole proprietorship.
Diploma/deregistration or Chamber of Commerce extract
Have you been working professionally for less than 3 years? Then we need a copy of the diplomas of the art academy(s) followed or a statement from the academy if the study has been terminated prematurely. If you have not completed any art education, you can send a recent extract (not older than 3 months) from the Chamber of Commerce or a comparable foreign organisation to check that you are registered as a visual artist.