Aïcha Kandisha protects or terrifies, depending on who tells the story. Thirteen female artists take on the ogress at ICI Léon, from Saturday until February.

Femme fatales are unionizing, and we love it. Thirteen artists, invited by Sonia Recasens, take literally the duel inherent in legendary women. Beautiful and menacing. Quests and dangers.

The ogress becomes a figure we can claim as our own: a woman who disrupts the rules, overflows the role assigned to her, and refuses to be reduced to it. The exhibition begins with Aïcha Kandisha, a character as seductive as she is feared. Depending on the story, she protects or frightens. These contradictions interest the artists: they reveal what we fear about femininity and sexuality. Passed down by mothers and grandmothers, these stories change with the people who tell them.

See: the video Belly Dance by Nil Yalter, dating from 1974, alongside recent creations—several generations participate in this reinterpretation of female figures. The works draw on Amazigh tales, pre-Islamic mythologies, and Mesopotamian legends, circulating their characters between eras and countries.

With Khadija El Abyad, Rim Battal, Amina Benbouchta, Imane Elkabli, Lucile Gautier, Nadira Husain, Saodat Ismailova, Kubra Khademi, Rim Mejdi, Lalla Rami, Lynn S.K., Silina Syan, and Nil Yalter.

Ladies, let the dance begin!

Admission is free: find it in our top free exhibitions and among new exhibitions in Paris.

INSTITUTE OF ISLAM CULTURES - HERE LÉON
From September 26, 2026 to February 7, 2027
19 rue Léon, 75018 - Metro: Château Rouge (Line 4)
Wednesday to Sunday, 12 pm - 7 pm - Closed Monday, Tuesday and public holidays
Free admission