Once upon 
a 13th time 
the biennale

It was in 1998 that the first Biennale Internationale Design Saint-Étienne was organised by Jacques Bonnaval (1950-2018), who was the Director of École Régionale des Beaux-Arts de Saint-Étienne (now Ésad Saint-Étienne). A bold idea was emerging: that of creating an event that would offer a broad overview of design and show the public the ideas and design process that constitute the hidden reality of the object. 

Since 2006 the Biennale has been held on the site of the former royal ordnance factory, the Manufacture d’armes royales, at the Cité du design, whose principal mission is to make design accessible to all kinds of audience through a broad vision of the craft of designer and its multiple applications.

Since then Biennales have fostered confrontations between the innovations generated by the schools, the large agencies, independent designers, disseminators, companies and a wide variety of audiences. The multiple exhibitions, talks, symposiums and encounters constitute a veritable laboratory of the contemporary world, providing insights, through the issues around design, into the directions of thought and challenges of our time.

Faced with the challenges of production in the 21st century, what resources are designers working with today to prepare tomorrow?

The theme chosen for the Biennale Internationale Design Saint-Étienne’s 13th edition is focused on resources and what the implications of that subject are for the future Ressource(s), présager demain ("Resource(s), foreshadowing the future"). Running from 22 May to 6 July 2025, it is an opportunity for every type of audience to discover fascinating new objects, source ideas and exchange viewpoints around an exploratory design that is tackling contemporary issues head-on, all at the heart of a truly festive event.

This latest edition is focusing first and foremost on the figure of designer, inviting designers to collaborate with companies in our local area, or "territory", and reconnecting with its roots by giving pride of place to young creatives and the students of the Saint-Étienne Higher School of Art and Design (Ésad Saint-Étienne) in particular.

Coming when Saint-Étienne has just signed a twinning agreement with the city of Kapan in Armenia, this 13th edition is also an opportunity to put a spotlight on contemporary design in that country.

In addition to the exhibitions, weekly cultural events and a programme of related events, there will be plenty of other activities and events to enjoy over these six weeks celebrating design across the entire "territory" and rippling out beyond the epicentre.

 The 13th edition of the Saint-Étienne International Design Biennial is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its exhibitions

The Cité du design has taken care to integrate environmental issues into the curatorial phase of its exhibitions, with a selection of projects produced mainly in Europe, in order to reduce transport distances and thus limit the Biennial’s carbon footprint. This approach reflects a commitment to a creative ecology that respects the balance of the environment, without sacrificing high standards or cultural openness.

In keeping with the theme of Resource(s), foreshadowing tomorrow, the scenographers’ attention has been focused on ‘just what is needed’: an economy of materials, sparing use of paint, as few pedestals as possible, and second-choice materials. The materials used in the various scenographies and in the shop can be left untreated, come from batches with slight manufacturing defects that make them unmarketable, or be specifically selected from stocks available at our partner companies. At the end of the event, they will all be carefully referenced and stored to maximise their re-use by the Cité du design in future exhibitions. They can also be made available to the technical workshops, which play a central role at the Saint-Étienne School of Art and Design, serving the needs of students and designers.

Furthermore, the catalogue for the 13th Saint Étienne International Design Biennial does more than simply document the exhibitions: it extends their commitments. By taking on this multiple materiality and making the most of what already exists, it asserts itself as a publishing object in keeping with the Biennial’s overall approach.
At the crossroads of graphic design and rational production, it embodies an inventive and situated economy of means. It was printed on eleven different types of paper, selected from dormant stock at the Chirat printing works (Saint-Just-La-Pendue, Loire), to make the most of available resources. The papers were chosen according to a number of criteria (grammage, texture, colour), but also according to the quantities needed to produce the copies. The catalogue becomes a visual and tactile colour chart, where each change of paper is indicated by an explanatory leaflet: on the front, the technical characteristics; on the back, a four-colour image to observe the impact of each paper on the rendering of colours.