We are pleased to invite our members to submit expressions of interest to host a future IBA General Assembly.

This is an invitation to actively propose a program for the most important collective moment in the IBA calendar, continuing a format that allows our network to shape the association’s trajectory.

Why Host a General Assembly?

Throughout the years, General Assemblies (GA) have served as key moments to strengthen a cornerstone of IBA’s founding mission: to exchange experiences, develop collaborative projects, and strengthen mutual support among biennials worldwide through in-person meetings.

These assemblies are moments of encounter where members can deepen their understanding of one another’s institutional models, regional contexts, and artistic milieus in which they operate, while also building connections that extend beyond the biennial field through dialogue with local institutions, cultural actors, and international peers.

For the host institution, the General Assembly offers a powerful platform for visibility and engagement. Alongside the internal members’ programme, which is designed to provide a space for peer-to-peer discussion on issues central to current biennial practices and to allow for the confidentiality sometimes required by professional exchange, the GA traditionally includes public-facing formats such as conferences, symposiums, or roundtables. These moments create an opportunity for the host to extend their biennial’s thematic framework through the contributions of IBA members and invited guests, situating the exhibition more deeply within broader international discourses.

Submit an Expression of Interest

We warmly invite our member biennials to submit a preliminary expression of interest to host an upcoming General Assembly. This initial stage is intended as a signal of intent and acknowledgement of the hosting guidelines (available as a downloadable PDF below).

Following this phase, selected candidates will be invited into further dialogue to develop a full proposal in collaboration with the IBA Office and the Programming Committee.

  • Current Call Open For: 15th General Assembly in 2028, 16th General Assembly in 2029
  • Deadline for Preliminary Expressions of Interest:

Hosting a General Assembly is both a responsibility and an opportunity, a chance to welcome the international biennial community, to open new public conversations, and to contribute to the evolving future of biennial culture worldwide. We look forward to seeing your vision!

Hosting Guidelines & Requirements

How to Apply

Interested parties are requested to submit a digital dossier to the IBA Office at info@biennialassociation.org. Your proposal should include:

  • Statement of Intent: Why should the General Assembly be hosted by your biennial, and what unique perspective or theme does your context offer?
  • Proposed Timeline: Suggested dates or window for the event (considering local weather, biennial exhibition dates, and regional art calendars).
  • Financial Plan & Logistics: A preliminary budget outline indicating potential host contributions, venue availability, and local partnerships.

History of IBA General Assemblies

Since our inaugural meeting in Berlin (2014), held at Haus der Kulturen der Welt during the 8th Berlin Biennale, the GA has been staged across continents with each edition shaped by the context of its host and the urgencies of its time.

From Sharjah (2015) and Milan (2016) to Yokohama (2017) and Kochi (2018), the early assemblies established a rhythm of public conferences, keynote lectures, and member-driven exchange addressing themes such as migration, connectivity, and shifting cultural landscapes. Subsequent gatherings in Santiago (2019) and the online editions of 2020 and 2021 responded to global transformation and pandemic conditions, rethinking how we could convene and collaborate across distances. The return to an in-person format in Prishtina (2022), hosted by Manifesta 14, reaffirmed the Assembly’s role as a space for collective reflection, focus groups, and public dialogue on the future of biennials. This momentum continued with gatherings in São Paulo (2023) and Lyon (2024), where members voted to adopt and formally sign IBA’s key framework document, the Guiding Principles, marking an important step in articulating shared values for the global biennial community. In Liverpool (2025), the Assembly further expanded conversations around memory, place, and institutional responsibility, while this trajectory of international exchange and collaboration continued in Sydney (2026).