For nearly a month, Paris will live to the rhythm of Benin. From September 22 to October 17, 2026, Fnac Saint-Lazare is devoting an exceptional program to this West African nation, with a series of events exploring its history and culture. The initiative, organized with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Benin in France for several of the announced events, will notably take over the meeting forum on the store’s third floor.
Far from a simple folkloric display, the program aims to explore several facets of Benin: its spiritual traditions, its past linked to the Kingdom of Dahomey and the slave trade, questions of cultural property restitution, as well as contemporary artistic creation, literature, gastronomy, and modern music.
A memory told through images
The kickoff will be given on September 22 with the photographic exhibition “Ayérayé: Éternel,” dedicated to the work of Beninese photographer and designer Eustache Ahomagnon. Until October 17, visitors can discover a body of work situated at the crossroads of photography and textile creation.
The artist explores memory, spirituality, and contemporary creation through the world of the Egungun, figures linked to ancestor worship among the Yoruba. The images engage in dialogue with textile creations inspired by the forms, materials, and movements associated with these traditions.
This exhibition immediately sets the tone for the program: showcasing a Benin that is both deeply attached to its heritage and resolutely turned toward contemporary creation.
Spirituality, traditions, and authors’ voices
On September 24, a meeting 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 next 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 allows for a discussion of gastronomy as a space for cultural transmission: Beninese products and flavors continue to accompany her work, even in a cuisine built between multiple influences.
Music will then take over. On September 26, Beninese artist Joe Kingston will offer a showcase around his “Afro futur vibes” universe, where hip-hop and contemporary African influences meet. The next day, poet and slam artist Sergent Markus will present his album “Vodun Gospel,” a project nourished notably by musical references from Vodun culture.
From Dahomey to the restitution of works
The program will also address the most sensitive pages of Beninese history.
On October 1, a meeting will be dedicated to Dahomey and the history of slavery. Writer and journalist Vincent Hugeux will exchange with Frédéric Ravatin, engineer and scientific scenographer, notably around the work done on the “Bateau de la Mémoire” in Ouidah, conceived as a memorial device dedicated to the slave trade.
The next day, the question of cultural property restitution between France and Benin will be at the center of discussions. Ambassador Angelo Dan, Romain Da Costa, and heritage curator Kolawodé Daniel Abidjo will look back at a historic process that has deeply 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 link between memory and present
On October 4, it’s cinema’s turn with the screening of “Retour à Ouidah 1993. Les Revenants,” a documentary by Charles Najman dedicated to the return to Ouidah, a city intimately linked to the history of Vodun and that of the African diaspora resulting from 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 thus create a dialogue between images of the past and contemporary questions about memory, identity, and the links between Benin and its diaspora.
A contemporary scene well represented
Current creation will not be forgotten. On September 30, a carte blanche will be dedicated to director, co-producer, and cinematographer Mr DYRECK. His work, produced between Benin and France, reflects a new generation of artists who use 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 became known notably for its work around a cappella singing and its desire to promote Beninese cultural heritage.
Paris, a crossroads of Beninese cultures
Through this succession of events, Fnac Saint-Lazare thus transforms its Parisian space into a true showcase dedicated to 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 cannot be reduced to a fixed heritage. It is transmitted, reinvented, and discussed. 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 a whole narrative of Benin that invites itself into the heart of Paris.
All announced events are free and open to the public, subject to availability. Fnac Saint-Lazare thus invites the curious, enthusiasts of African culture, members of the Beninese diaspora, and more broadly, all those who wish to discover or rediscover a country whose history and creation occupy a singular place in cultural exchanges between Africa and France.
