Isabelle Bertolotti, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Lyon
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The director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Lyon, Isabelle Bertolotti, expresseshow artistic institutions make progress through multidimensional contributions. Usingthe Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon as an example, she conveys how open spacedesign breaks the barriers of traditionalism through creation and community partnership,stimulating local culture. For example, this is achieved by combining traditional sewingskills with computer science and programming into one interactive art project.Furthermore, she emphasised the importance of international partnerships, asexemplified by the relationship between CAFA artists, who incidentally give rise tocreative paradigms. Isabelle highlights that museums should become the laboratories ofcultural students, utilizing space, time, and relationships to connect the past and thefuture, both locally and internationally, in order to achieve cultural symbiosis in the era ofglobalization. Her speech offers valuable insights for the academy on innovativeprogress.
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Open Space and Dynamic Practice
The physical open space design is the core of The Museum of Contemporary Art inLyon's cultural strategy. Located on the outskirts of Lyon, the museum boasts an open,border-free layout that seamlessly blends into its natural surroundings. As DirectorIsabelle highlights, this "boundaryless" design not only provides a testing backgroundfor large-scale installations but also challenges the traditional enclosure of museumspaces. The collections include several monumental works, many spanning overkilometres, which can not be exhibited permanently due to spatial constraints. As aresult, the museum emphasizes temporal exhibitions and programs, adopting a dynamicapproach to support dynamic forms of artistic expression. Additionally, the museumemphasizes communal engagement through educational and public programs,reinforcing the openness that is at the heart of its mission.
The museum's philosophy of "openness" extends beyond its physical design to itsfunctional identity. Through residency programs, artists receive creative support, forminga dynamic triangle of "space, art piece, and audience". As Isabelle points out, thismodel enables the museum to transition from a traditionally static space to a laboratoryfor cultural production, where ongoing artistic practices make the space fluid and alive.Collaborations with local artists and artisans further enrich this strategy, achieving abalanced combination of traditional craftsmanship with contemporary art to produceunique art and enhance the museum's cultural resonance.
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Community participation and the revitalization of tradition
As a key aspect of the Silk Road, Lyon's rich textile serves as a vital sourcefor the museum's efforts to reactivate local cultural memory. A representative example isthe fabric-based project by French Artist Mona Cara. Collaborating with localtechnicians and core members of the local community, the artist created interactivetapestries that merge traditional weaving techniques with digital programming. Theseworks incorporate 18th-century silk patterns alongside contemporary symbols, such ascafé scenery and science fiction motifs, creating a surreal dialogue between historicalmemory and modern everyday life. The project also included workshops and exhibitionactivities that directly included members of the community in the artistic process,deepening their understanding and appreciation of local cultural heritage.
Through cross-generational partnership, the program achieved multiple goals: childrenengaging in logo designs, elders in traditional techniques, and core communitymembers in smoothing the progress. As a result, the artwork became a vessel ofcollective memory - preserving the intricate delicacy of traditional craftsmanship whileembedding narratives from contemporary life. Isabelle specifically noted that artistsintroduced computer programming in the factory setting, working alongside factoryworkers to produce digitally enhanced textile pieces while also strengthening communityidentity through the transformative power of artistic reconstruction.
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Residency creation and international collaboration
In the mural program at IKON Gallery in Birmingham, French artist Nieck van de Steegutilized narrative wall paintings to reinforce the public dimension of art education.Similarly, in 2017, we organized a residency for 10 French artists at CAFA. Anunexpected loss of artworks in transition sparked new modes of creation. For instance,French artist Maxime Lamarche adapted to the situation by repurposing a commercialdinosaur as the basis of his work, which CAFA ultimately collected. Isabelle noted thatsuch incidents give rise to new modes of creation, proving that artistic practices providemore spark and livelihood in uncertain circumstances. Through these internationalcollaborations, the museum not only enriches its collection but also offers artistsbroader platforms for visibility, fostering mutual understanding and respectinterculturally.
In the mural project of IKON Gallery in Birmingham, French artist Nieck van de Steeg strengthens the public nature of art education through narrative murals. In 2017, we organized 10 French artists to reside at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in China. The accidental loss of artworks during transportation unexpectedly gave birth to new creative paradigms. For example, French artist Maxime Lamarche created a work inspired by commercial dinosaur installations using local materials, which was eventually collected by CAFA. Isabelle pointed out that such incidents have accidentally spawned new creative paradigms, proving that artistic practices may be more vital in the face of uncertainty. Through these international cooperation projects, museums have not only enriched their art collections but also provided broader display platforms for artists, promoting understanding and respect between different cultures.
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Narrative construction and future vision
Isabelle articulates a narrative philosophy at the core of the museum's mission: theconstruction of a diverse network of meanings through artistic practice. This approachunfolds across three interconnected narrative dimensions:1. Spatial narrative - The museum's boundaryless architecture symbolises acommitment to cultural democratisation, dissolving both physical andpsychological barriers in the art.2. Temporal narrative - A continuous dialogue is needed to connect the historicalheritage with future imaginings mediated by contemporary art.3. Relational narrative - The museum operates as a symbiotic system comprisinglocal communities, international communities, and the institution itself.
Through these narrative strategies, the museum does more than tell a story about artand culture; it builds a platform for dialogue across community, history, and the future. Incollaborations such as the one between French artists and CAFA, the museumhighlights the investment in emerging voices and offers young artists transnationalresidency opportunities while cultivating future audiences. Isabelle envisions deepeninga strategy of "local internationalism" as an artist's practice to explore modes of culturalcollaboration in the context of globalization. At its core, it is the transformation of localspecificity into an open system- one that continuously generates new networks ofmeaning through intercultural dialogue. The museum aspires to serve as a bridgebetween the past and the future, between the local and the global, fostering culturalexchange and integration through the transformative power of art.
Introduction to the Guest Speakers
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Isabelle Bertolotti
Isabelle Bertolotti received her academic training in art history at the 2nd University ofLyon and École du Louvre. Since 2018 she has served as director of macLYON (Muséed'Art contemporain de Lyon), and in 2019 she was appointed co-director of the LyonBiennale. Bernalotti is also the co-founder of "Rendez-vous", a platform launched in2002 to spotlight emerging French and International artists. "Rendez-vous" has sincebeen integrated into the Lyon Biennale, reflecting its growing institutional significance, inaddition to her curatorial leadership at MAC Lyon and the Biennale. She works as anindependent curator with a focus on the global emerging art scene. She also serves aspresident of the Le Grand Large Association, further supporting international culturalexchange and the mobility of artists.
Chief Editor / He Yisha
Editor / Du Yinzhu
Photography / He Yifei
Editor / Feng Kaiziqi
