2027 Theme: BEYOND BORDERS

In a world shaped by ever-increasing exchanges, rapidly evolving technologies, and cultures that constantly meet and reinvent themselves, the very notion of borders is undergoing profound transformation. Once perceived as lines of separation, borders have become spaces of movement, dialogue, and experimentation. These zones of transition, encounter, and transformation inspire artistic practices that reshape the narratives, forms, and imaginaries of our time.

For its 2027 edition, Lille Art Up! presents its programme under the theme “Beyond Borders”, inviting galleries and their artists to explore, challenge, and transcend geographical and identity-related, material and technological, as well as disciplinary boundaries, opening up new perspectives for contemporary creation.

1. Questioning Geographical and Identity Borders

Migration, exile, belonging, memory, and transmission are central themes in many artistic practices that explore the human realities unfolding across geographical and identity borders. Through their work, artists examine the relationships between rootedness and mobility, heritage and transformation, individual identity and collective history. Their creations reveal how borders shape life trajectories while continuously evolving through cultural exchange and cross-cultural influences.

2. Pushing Material and Technological Boundaries

Technological innovation and emerging practices are opening unprecedented possibilities for contemporary creation. Artists are embracing these developments to reinvent artistic media, experiment with new materials, and rethink production processes. Recycled and organic materials, the dialogue between craftsmanship and industry, artificial intelligence, data art, and digitally enhanced fabrication are just some of the approaches redefining the traditional limits of the artwork and transforming the ways it is conceived and produced.

3. Transcending Disciplinary Boundaries

At a time when artistic categories are being redefined, many creators are blurring the lines between disciplines and building bridges across creative fields. Collectible design, contemporary comics, textile art, craft, collaborative practices, and works situated at the intersection of visual arts, design, and craftsmanship all reflect a desire to hybridize expertise and invent new forms of creation and knowledge transmission.

With “Beyond Borders,” Lille Art Up! reaffirms its commitment to discovery and emerging talent by highlighting artistic practices that challenge established boundaries and open new horizons for contemporary creation. The fair also reinforces its ambition to welcome new artists, galleries, and creative practices while offering visitors meaningful insights into the major cultural transformations shaping our time.

To further expand on this theme, three curatorial projects will enrich the programme of the 2027 edition.

THEMA

Developed in partnership with a leading art institution, this exhibition will offer a distinctive perspective on the theme “Beyond Borders” through a selection of landmark works and fresh curatorial viewpoints.

INTERFACE

This curated platform will showcase four emerging international artists whose practices embody the key issues raised by the theme. Each artist will present a personal interpretation of contemporary borders—whether geographical, material, technological, or disciplinary.

RÉVÉLATION by Art Up!

Révélation by Art Up! will honour four “Editor’s Picks” selected by the fair’s committee from among the proposals submitted by participating galleries. Presented in a dedicated exhibition space, these artists will benefit from enhanced visibility and compete for an award presented either by the public or by one of the event’s partners.