In 2026, CNEAI = will once again become insular and move to a new location: Maison Fleuve.
Located in the heart of the eco-friendly river district of L’Île-Saint-Denis, CNEAI = is creating a river and island art center, a third place at the crossroads of multiple uses and practices. The building, designed by architect Farid Azib and completed in 2025, is conceived as a place of cooperation, hospitality, and encounters between residents, artists, and scientists. Six floors house exhibition halls, professional workshops, spaces dedicated to amateur practices, and places for exchange and conviviality. La Maison Fleuve affirms an approach focused on inclusion, ecological transition, and archipelagic resonance. From the island, via the river, a network of places is woven across the local, national, and international territory, like so many permanent or temporary trading posts, in the image of shared or pirate zones, places of experimentation or distancing.
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CNEAI =
MAISON FLEUVE =
island art center=
third place +
research +
production +
dissemination +
transmission +
training +
cooperation +
resilience +
Main Activities
= SPACES FOR HOSTING, CREATION, AND EXHIBITIONS =
• Modular exhibition hall and art library/bookstore
• Outdoor installations
• Open-air performance and presentation spaces
= ARTISTIC PRACTICE AND TRAINING WORKSHOPS =
• Open art studios
• Masterclasses, study days, workshops
• Makerspaces and digital labs (FabLab)
= ARTISTIC RESIDENCIES =
• Multidisciplinary residencies
• Regional residencies and workshops
= SHARED WORKSPACES =
• Studio and office spaces
• Community workshops and networking events
• Panoramic terrace for events
= EVENTS AND CONFERENCES =
• Themed conferences
• Annual highlights and festivals
• Outdoor screenings and discussions
Artistic and Cultural Project
A PROGRAM
A program of exhibitions and events is designed around the themes addressed by the artistic and cultural project and its partners. Each year, the project fosters stronger ties with local residents, as well as with the diverse audiences that make up this bustling metropolitan area and department—a welcoming home to numerous civic and artistic communities. Numerous initiatives are carried out and punctuate the programs developed: exhibitions and artist residencies both on-site and off-site; support for local and partner projects; festivals and gatherings; publications and artistic productions; arts and cultural education initiatives…
ASSOCIATED ARTISTS & THE REGION
Each year, the CNEAI works with an associated artist. This program allows the CNEAI to host an artist for an extended period, with the goal of providing dedicated time for research and production, as well as the opportunity to participate in the venue’s programming. The guest artist chooses a topic to explore and uses Maison Fleuve as a base from which to take the time needed to develop new works. Throughout the season, the CNEAI = team, the associate artist, and local residents collaborate to create initiatives aimed at partners and stakeholders in the region’s cultural, sociocultural, and community education sectors.
Collective dynamics
La Maison Fleuve is based on a deeply shared governance model. The CNEAI = team works closely with the City of L’Île-Saint-Denis, partner communities, associations, schools, neighborhood organizations, associate researchers, and guest professionals. The program is co-constructed, discussed, and adjusted with the territory. Each partner can take part in the broader governance, propose content, bring uses to life, and intervene in actions. As such, Maison Fleuve is also a laboratory for cultural, social, and civic participation. It inherits the tradition of art centers while reinventing it on a local scale and in an intrinsically inclusive way.
Maison Fleuve Partners
The projects are carried out in collaboration with a network of partners:
Pan café, Frac Grand Large - Hauts-de-France, Frac Picardie, Bourse de commerce - Pinault Collection, Institut français de Paris, Institut français de Suède, Institut français d’Islande, Finis terrae - Centre d’art insulaire, le Wonder - Bobigny, Artists’ Documents Network, Artists’ Documents Réunion, Artists’ Documents Caribbean and Amazon, La Station Culturelle - Martinique, Department of Guadeloupe, Wallonia-Brussels Center, MAC of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon; DSDEN of Seine-Saint-Denis, DSDEN of Eure, Créteil Academy Rectorate, ACTE Institute at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, University of Toulouse—GET Laboratory, HEAR—Strasbourg-Mulhouse; Videotage—Hong Kong, Consulate General of France—Hong Kong and Macao, Art Inside Out—Sweden, LA Art Museum – Iceland.
La Maison Fleuve is supported by the City of L’Île-Saint-Denis, the Plaine Commune Urban Community, the Department of Seine-Saint-Denis, the Île-de-France Regional Council, and the Ministry of Culture – DRAC Île-de-France.
Address
Maison Fleuve - CNEAI =
5 Place de la Batellerie
93450 L’Île-Saint-Denis
Seine-Saint-Denis, Île-de-France
How to get there? // Starting in September 2026 //
= Route 1 » I take the metro
Line 13 / Carrefour Pleyel
then a 12-min. walk
Line 14 / Saint-Denis Pleyel
then a 20-min. walk
= Route 2 » metro + bus = <3
Line 14 / Mairie de Saint-Ouen
then bus 237, 5 stops / Quai du Chatelier #9
= Route 3 » Thanks, Greater Paris
RER D / Saint-Denis - L’Île-Saint-Denis
Transilien H / Saint-Denis - L’Île-Saint-Denis
Bus 237, 3 stops / Quai du Chatelier, platform 9
= Route 4 » Exercise is good for your health
Vélib’ at Place Pleyel
then a 12-min. walk
Bike, via the new Louafi Bouguera footbridge,
or the Quai du Châtelier and its bike path
= Route 5 » Well, no—by car…
parking lot, mobility hub -
22 Quai du Châtelier, in the eco-neighborhood
= Route 6 » I’m taking the boat
geographic coordinates:
48°55’32.8”N 2°19’59.7”E