Benin’s month in Paris: what the Fnac Saint-Lazare program means for business, diaspora and memory

A cultural residency with concrete stakes for Paris

From September 22 to October 17, 2026, the Fnac Paris Saint-Lazare will place Benin under the spotlight. Exhibitions, talks, debates, film and music will form a program designed to bring history, memory, spirituality and contemporary creation into dialogue.

The effects will be felt well beyond the store’s walls. Over nearly four weeks, Paris will host a dense cycle of free events dedicated to this West African nation, with several sessions organized with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Benin in France. Most activities will take place in the meeting forum on the third floor of the store.

For the Beninese diaspora in the Paris region, for African culture enthusiasts and for the curious, the initiative offers rare access to a multifaceted national narrative. For businesses and cultural institutions, it also signals the growing weight of African programming in the French capital’s commercial and cultural landscape.

A plural portrait that challenges clichés

Far from a folkloric showcase, the residency will explore several layers of Benin: its spiritual traditions, its past linked to the Kingdom of Dahomey and the slave trade, debates over the restitution of cultural property, as well as contemporary art, literature, gastronomy and current music.

This editorial choice has real-world consequences. By tackling sensitive historical questions in a public, non-academic setting, the program helps shape how ordinary Parisians understand Benin — and how the diaspora sees its own heritage reflected back.

Memory told through images

The opening on September 22 will feature the photographic exhibition “Ayérayé: Éternel,” devoted to the work of Beninese photographer and designer Eustache Ahomagnon. Running until October 17, the show sits at the crossroads of photography and textile creation.

The artist explores memory, spirituality and contemporary creation through the universe of the Egungun, figures linked to ancestor worship among the Yoruba. The images engage with textile pieces inspired by the shapes, materials and movements associated with these traditions.

From the outset, the exhibition sets the tone: a Benin deeply attached to its inheritances yet firmly oriented toward contemporary creation.

Spirituality, traditions and authors’ voices

On September 24, a discussion will bring together Saskia Cousin Kouton, professor of sociology and author, journalist Delphine Bousquet Hazoumè and researcher Richard J.V. Sogan. They will exchange views on spirituality, traditions and several works dedicated to Beninese heritage.

The following day, the public will meet chef Georgiana Viou. Born in Benin, she will recount her journey and present her book “Oui cheffe! Du Bénin à l’étoile Michelin. Itinéraire d’une battante.” Her career also highlights gastronomy as a space for cultural transmission: Beninese products and flavors continue to shape her work, even within a cuisine built between multiple influences.

Music will then take over. On September 26, Beninese artist Joe Kingston will deliver a showcase around his “Afro futur vibes” universe, where hip-hop meets contemporary African influences. The next day, poet and slam artist Sergent Markus will present his album “Vodun Gospel,” a project nourished by musical references drawn from vodun culture.

From Dahomey to the restitution of works

The program will also address the most sensitive chapters of Beninese history.

On October 1, a session will focus on Dahomey and the history of slavery. Writer and journalist Vincent Hugeux will speak with Frédéric Ravatin, engineer and scientific scenographer, notably about the work carried out around the “Boat of Memory” in Ouidah, conceived as a memorial device dedicated to the slave trade.

The next day, the question of restitution of cultural property between France and Benin will take center stage. Ambassador Angelo Dan, Romain Da Costa and heritage curator Kolawodé Daniel Abidjo will revisit a historic process that has profoundly marked cultural relations between the two countries.

This choice of themes gives the event a particularly strong historical and memorial dimension. It is no longer just about presenting works or artists, but about questioning how a country tells its past, preserves its heritage and builds its relationship with the world.

Cinema as a bridge between memory and present

On October 4, cinema takes over with the screening of “Retour à Ouidah 1993. Les Revenants,” a documentary by Charles Najman devoted to the return to Ouidah, a city intimately linked to the history of vodun and of the African diaspora born of the slave trade. The screening will be followed by a discussion with journalist, producer and programmer Emmanuelle Honorin.

Through this film made in the context of the Ouidah 92 Festival, the program will set images of the past in dialogue with contemporary questions about memory, identity and ties between Benin and its diaspora.

A contemporary scene well represented

Current creation will not be forgotten. On September 30, a carte blanche will be devoted to director, co-producer and cinematographer Mr DYRECK. His work, carried out between Benin and France, reflects a new generation of artists using images to tell West Africa differently.

On October 10, music will take on a new dimension with the arrival of singer and jazz artist Mina Agossi, invited to present her album “Dynamic. Tribute to Dinah Washington.”

Finally, on October 17, the program will close with a showcase by the group Teriba, presented as Benin’s first all-female music group. Founded in 2002, the collective gained recognition for its a cappella singing and its commitment to promoting Beninese cultural heritage.

Paris as a crossroads for Beninese cultures

Through this succession of events, the Fnac Saint-Lazare will transform its Parisian space into a genuine showcase for Benin for nearly four weeks. From photography to gastronomy, from slam to jazz, from cinema to history, the program draws a plural portrait of a country whose heritage continues to fuel contemporary creation.

It also reminds us that Beninese culture is not a frozen legacy. It is transmitted, reinvented and debated. Between vodun traditions, the memory of Dahomey, the history of the slave trade, debates on the restitution of works and new artistic expressions, it is ultimately an entire narrative of Benin that enters the heart of Paris.

All announced events are free and open to the public, subject to availability. The Fnac Saint-Lazare thus invites the curious, enthusiasts of African culture, members of the Beninese diaspora and, more broadly, anyone wishing to discover or rediscover a country whose history and creation occupy a singular place in cultural exchanges between Africa and France.