During the 11th edition, in 2019, the design biennial attracted 235,000 visitors. For this 12th XXL model edition, from April 6 to July 31, the ambitions are strong. “If we double [la fréquentation]it’s good, it’s even excellent” hopes Thierry Mandon, the director of the city of design in Saint-Étienne.
Reach a wider audience
The specter of the coronavirus, which had forced the organizers to postpone this edition from 2021 to 2022, still hovers. “Attendance at major cultural events in recent years with the Covid has nevertheless taken a small hit. You have to be reasonable, even if I think it’s an event that will take on a whole new dimension. And its impact on local economic and touristic life will be much stronger.”
Four months instead of the usual one, it’s an opportunity to reach a wider audience. “We realized that three weeks in a biennial which is now attended nationally and internationally is a bit short for people. To become like the major international biennials, I am thinking of that of Milan for example, a longer period will facilitate attendance.”