The Bonifacio Biennale, such as the work ‘Nimu Dormi’
Videos and installations by 12 international artists and six local artists and collectives explore celebration and social interaction as the basis for revolutionary tension
Key points
Five venues, historic buildings and derelict sites reclaimed for contemporary art, and a route structured around an opera. From 23 May to 5 November 2026, the Bonifacio Biennale presents ‘Nimu Dormi’, bringing together 12 international artists and six artists and collectives from the island for this third edition. The logic of daily productivity is replaced by that of passion: the festival becomes a revolutionary moment that allows us to observe difference and engage with the world through music, dance and collective experience. An Overture, a Prelude, three Acts and a grand finale at the Barracks mark the course of the event.
A non-profit Biennale
Behind the event is the De Renava association, a not-for-profit organisation founded and run by Prisca Meslier and Dumè Marcellesi in 2020, with Basile Isitt joining in 2022. The total budget is 600,000 euros, of which 200,000 comes from public funds, including 50,000 euros provided by the city. The remainder comes from private patrons and supporters. What also makes an event of this scale possible on a relatively modest budget is the use of mécénat de compétence. Architects and set designers offer their specialist expertise free of charge as a form of voluntary work: the Biennale thus covers the costs of materials, safety, management and the work required to make historic buildings and derelict spaces accessible. Each artist also receives a participation fee of 1,000 euros. The scope for commissioning new works remains limited: the only site-specific commission was awarded to the young Corsican Philippe Caamano, at the Caserma where, from next year, De Renava also intends to create a permanent exhibition space, a sort of gallery integrated into the association: all profits generated from sales will be reinvested in the exhibitions. At the same time, a Biennale collection could be established at the Caserma.
The Journey as an Opera
The exhibition begins at the Agorà, a former nightclub that closed in 1993. Here, the agorà – a place of celebration – is in fact also a political space, where people meet, discuss and live together. “We wanted to explore the theme of celebration as an act of revolution,” explains Prisca. “An act of defiance, of resistance and, at times, of survival for a marginalised group.” Most of the works are videos or sound installations which, compared to the first two editions, are less striking in terms of scale and aesthetics but suggest a different, more intimate and patient way of engaging with the artwork. The videos on display at the Biennale are priced between 50,000 and 70,000 euros.
L’Ouverture has selected ‘Nervous’ (1999–2000) by Adel Abdessemed, a video produced for FRAC Corsica. ‘Dio vi salvi Regina’ links Corsica’s religious tradition with its political history, having become the national anthem in 1735 under Pasquale Paoli, . The title ‘Nervous’ captures that tension between fragility and resilience which also runs through the history of the song, which was at times sung in secret and associated with the independence movement.
Il Preludio presents ‘Lamia’ by Niki Danai Chania, dedicated to the creatures of the night and marginalised cultures. This is followed by works by Alex Foxton (from Galerie Derouillon, priced between 18,000 and 47,000 euros), who has created five biblical scenes centred on the ‘social divine’: the possibility of encountering the sacred not only during liturgy, but also in our relationships with others and in communal settings.
