Contour Biennale returns after three-year hiatus

Contour Biennale returns to the contemporary art scene in Belgium after a three-year hiatus and is preparing for its 11th edition in September 2026. Long considered a key platform for showcasing the moving image and time-based art in Belgium, Contour has gathered curators, artists, and local communities to probe the significance of these art forms in our time and the impact that they have on shaping our comprehension of current events and our vision of the future.

Contour has a unique position in the art world in Europe, as one of only two such manifestations dedicated exclusively to the moving image (the other being Biennale de l’Image en Mouvement in Geneva) on the continent. This sets it apart from other contemporary art biennials whose programmatic scope encompasses a wide range of media and disciplines. Founded in the Flemish city of Mechelen in 2003 by Etienne Van den Bergh, the Biennale's curatorial framework has not changed much from that initial edition. Moving image works are installed across multiple partner venues in the city, and there is a rich public programming component.

In 2017, Contour Biennale merged with kunstencentrum nona, which managed the organization until 2023. Due to conflicting visions and nona's estrangement from the biennale's original dedication to audiovisual arts, Contour was discontinued. A group of Belgium-based curators, artists and cultural workers, organized around the non-profit organization Contouristen, drew up a petition that called for the biennale's revival in 2024. Following its renewal, Contour placed an open call for a curator for the 11th edition, a position which was filled by Sofia Lemos in 2025.

Opening under the title The Eyes of the Heart and the Soul of the World, the 11th edition of Contour is making a return to its medium-specific premise, with Lemos’ curatorial argument being that the contemporary moment is an inflection point that is transformative in its future-oriented temporal trajectory, with the figure of the heart and that of the world-soul serving as metaphors that reveal the processes whereby old systems and habits recede and are replaced by new ones. The biennale opens on September 5 and through November 1, 2026. For updates on the biennale's program, check the Contour site.