Discovering Detroit

Founded in 1701 by a Frenchman, Antoine de Lamothe-Cadillac, Detroit became highly industrialised in the 19th century, with the motor vehicle industry in particular, which earned the city its nickname: "the Motor City" or "Motown". Home to the head offices of companies like Ford, Chrysler and General Motors, the city became the symbol of industrial growth, before falling victim to the crisis that began in the 1960s and culminated with its bankruptcy in 2013. To rebuild, Detroit chose the option of entrepreneurship, creativity and community. It became a prism for exploring a new collaborative and sustainable way of living and thinking together. Today, the city boasts the highest concentration of industrial and commercial designers in the United States. Detroit is renowned for the effervescence of its music scene, where great punk, techno and soul performers made their names. The creative industries are a growing sector of the economy. This is how Detroit is reinventing itself in the face of the crisis. It joined the UNESCO Creative Cities network in December 2015.

For its 10th edition the Biennale has invited Detroit to be its Guest of Honour so that it can share its experience as a resilient city, in the midst of shifting work paradigms.