La Maison Fleuve - Island Fertility & River Roots

an inaugural exhibition / La Maison Fleuve 2026

The Cneai was founded on the Île-des-Impressionnistes in Chatou in 1993 and has since continuously traveled along the Seine, making stops in various regions, from Île-de-France to Normandy. Downstream, the Maison Flottante—a studio boat designed by the Bouroullec brothers and delivered in 2007—is now moored along the riverbank in Poses in the Eure department, on the Chemin du Halage across from Île-du-Trait. Upstream, the Maison Fleuve—the art center’s new home—is situated between two branches of the river in the heart of the new Place de la Batellerie on Île-Saint-Denis. From bank to bank, from path to pier, the Cneai sets sail and drops anchor once again to celebrate its thirtieth anniversary under the newly installed roof of its new home.
This place of art, openness, and sharing—a welcoming haven for the islanders—is taking root and enriching the neighborhood, its streets, gardens, and waters by drawing on spiritual connections and ancient rituals. Water is celebrated here as the binding force and source of life itself. According to Hildegard of Bingen, who lived on the Rhine in the 12th century, water cleanses, quenches, and nourishes the earth and all its inhabitants, from living beings to minerals.
The establishment of this space is conceived as an eminently fertilizing step. The Tahitian word for “island” is “fenua,” a term that also means “placenta” and thus refers to its intrinsic fertility.
Polynesian societies also have an edifying and inspiring tradition of canoeing. Setting out to conquer rivers, seas, and oceans represents—beyond the obvious feat of skill—a leap of faith toward new territories and a renewal of the principle of life.
With equal vigor, the Cneai inaugurates its new space—a third place that is inspiring and welcoming—amid shared joy. Moving between the body, the earth, and memory, the exhibition explores the many forms of island vitality. Artists and the general public are invited to reflect on fertility, insularity, the renewal of life, and settlement through action. Thus, a central space in the exhibition will host rituals, processions, and performances throughout this grand celebration.

The Artists

EXHIBITION

• SARA BICHÃO / guest artist
• ULLA VON BRANDENBURG / ¡Viva Villa! - Villa Kujoyama
• CLAUDE DUGIT-GROS / guest artist
• ARTHUR FRANCIETTA / ¡Viva Villa! - Villa Albertine
• FANNY GICQUEL / guest artist
• YANN GROSS / ¡Viva Villa! - Casa de Velázquez
• GIULIA GROSSMANN / ¡Viva Villa! - Villa Albertine
• MARIE-CLAIRE MESSOUMA-MANLANBIEN / ¡Viva Villa! - Villa Médicis
• CÉCILE PARIS / guest artist
• MIGLINE PAROUMANOU / guest artist

PUBLICATION

• RÉMI ALGIS / ¡Viva Villa! - Casa de Velázquez
• STÉPHANIE MELYON-REINETTE / ¡Viva Villa! - Associate curator
  To mark the opening of the art center’s new venue, the Cneai’s commitment to publishing in newspaper format has been revived. This journal features, among other things, conversations between the artists of the program La Maison Fleuve, Island Fertility & River Roots, along with contributions by Rémi Algis, landscape architect, Arthur Francietta, graphic designer and artist associated with the cneai =’s 2026 program; Stéphanie Melyon-Reinette, associate curator; and Ann Stouvenel, co-curator and director of the cneai =.

CURATING

• STÉPHANIE MELYON-REINETTE / ¡Viva Villa! - Associate Curator
• ANN STOUVENEL, Director of Cneai =, exhibition curator and editorial director of the accompanying publication.
  
  
  

Curatorial Approach

The art center’s team is collaborating with Stéphanie Melyon-Reinette on both the exhibition design and the dialogue between the works, as well as on the conversations among the artists, based on the themes explored.
Also known as Nèfta Poésie (poet and artist), Stéphanie Melyon-Reinette is a performer, dancer, choreographer, cultural activist, independent scholar, and, above all, a researcher.
As an activist and sociologist, Stéphanie Melyon-Reinette has authored several essays and contributed to numerous anthologies since 2009. Her interests include Black bodies in performance, Afro-diasporic/Black music and dance, gender and sexuality studies, masculinities, migration and identity, and Caribbean/Haitian cultures…

Related Events

• September 25&26, 2026 = Inauguration of Maison Fleuve, the new home of the Cneai, located on L’Île-Saint-Denis, accompanied by a series of events inside and around Maison Fleuve.
• September 25 > October 25, 2026 = Sillages - Exhibition inside and outside, Place de la Batellerie on L’Île-Saint-Denis.
  
  
  

Project Partners

• ¡Viva Villa!, is a network of French artist residencies abroad, created in 2016 by the Casa de Velázquez (Madrid), the Villa Kujoyama (Kyoto), and the Villa Medici (Rome), with the Villa Albertine (United States) joining in 2023. In 2023, ¡Viva Villa! is evolving from a festival format into a platform supporting contemporary creation through two initiatives: a grant program and a professional development day. ¡Viva Villa! promotes throughout France the work of artists, researchers, and creators who have participated in its network of residencies.
  With support from the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, the Academy of Fine Arts, the Sud Region, the Institut français, the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, the Roederer Foundation, the Société Générale Foundation, and Ardian.
• In partnership with Pan Café and Finis terrae - island art center.