Göteborg International Biennial for Contemporary Art started in 2001 and is the largest Biennial for Contemporary Art in Sweden.
Göteborg International Biennial for Contemporary Art – GIBCA – started in 2001 and is the largest Biennial for Contemporary Art in Sweden. Since 2007, the Biennial is hosted by Röda Sten – Center for Contemporary Art and Culture with the main support by the City of Göteborg and Västra Götalandsregionen.

The overall goal for the biennial event is formulated by Göteborg’s Culture Committee: ‘Göteborg International Biennial for Contemporary Art will promote Göteborg as a city of culture and place Göteborg firmly on the map in an international context. It will show international contemporary art of high quality and become an inspiration for galleries and other participants in the local art scene as well as show the city of Göteborg, to the rest of the world, as a city of creativity. Göteborg International Biennial for Contemporary Art has a pedagogic mission in terms of conveying contemporary art to the residents of Göteborg and especially to the children and youth of the city.’
GIBCA is in 2019 at its 10th edition and has become a relevant art biennial for the Nordic region. Started in 2001, GIBCA has established itself as one of Sweden’s biggest art events and is internationally seen as one of the young and exciting biennials in Europe.
To each of its editions, GIBCA invites one or several internationally practicing curators to enter in a dialogue with the city of Gothenburg, its citizens, people interested in art and artists around the globe. Starting from a theme and presenting stark artistic practices, the visitors as well as the art world are offered an experience of art at its best.
Swedish and international artists are invited to present existing as well as newly produced site-specific artworks where the local spirit of Gothenburg and of West of Sweden play a notable part. Gothenburg is a city with a past of labor and harbor culture. The city has a dynamic history where both established and self-organized communities make an impact. As a platform for the international contemporary art scene, the biennial aims to be an important junction between the local, national, and international art practitioners.
Each biennial consists of several major exhibitions and program which take place at established art institutions in Gothenburg as well as in the public realm. Through workshops, seminars, and talks, the visitors are invited to dialogue and to deepen their knowledge on current issues within contemporary art. A broad educational art program engages both children and young people in a variety of activities, workshops, and tours in all exhibition spaces of the biennial.