This is a first in France; or rather we should say a revelation. After a stop in Benin, Morocco and Martinique, this global exhibition stops in Paris, in the heart of the Palais de la Cité, jewel of the Center des monuments nationaux, to reveal to us the true treasure of Cotonou... And it is not the one you believe. Under the Gothic vaults of the old court of justice, the work of forty-eight contemporary Beninese artists is revealed, idols of African creation and heirs of the traditions of an entire nation. We are thus moving into unknown territory, discovering the colorful hangings of Yves Apollinaire Pèdé, the fantastic oils of Julien Sinzogan and the tire sculptures of Marcel Kpoho. Here, Dimitri Fagbohoun combines opposites, mixing the power of black and the delicacy of gold in vibrant creations, while Louis Oké Agbo redefines the codes of portraiture in a mosaic of photographic images from here and elsewhere. The mask we wear becomes bogus at Romuald Hazoumè, when it transforms into an astronaut helmet covered in cowrie shells at Emo de Medeiros. Between past and present, each artist makes their way here, writing before our eyes the new pages of the History of Benin.

THE CONCIERGE
From October 4, 2024 to January 5, 2025
2 bd du Palais, 75001 - M° Cité (4)
Every day 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.,
Price: €11.50 - Free under 26 years old
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