For the 12th edition of the Itinéraires Artistiques de Saint-Louis, the Association Ndar Création makes a major strategic shift: the annual exhibition becomes a living ecosystem, driven by an international artistic residency, an inclusive workshop programme across four sites, and a permanent virtual gallery with worldwide reach.
The pivotal edition
Since 2013, the Itinéraires Artistiques de Saint-Louis have established themselves as one of the most important visual arts events in West Africa. Over twelve years, the event has brought together more than 120 artists and forged a strong cultural identity, rooted in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Saint-Louis, Senegal.
In 2026, the Association Ndar Création takes a decisive step forward. Under the theme « Hybrid Trajectories: Create, Transmit, Shine », the event reinvents itself in depth: the physical exhibition format gives way to a hybrid ecosystem, where intensive creation-in-residency fuels permanent international digital reach.
The residency: intensive creation
From 2 May to 2 June 2026, twenty national and international artists — including creators from Mauritania, the guest country of honour — will converge on the Centre écologique For Sopi for an intensive artistic residency. This living artistic laboratory will foster aesthetic dialogue, the sharing of skills and the production of new works.
The defining act of this residency will be the creation of a monumental collective artwork in tribute to the 25 years of existence of the Fondation Cuomo, a founding partner of the Itinéraires Artistiques since 2001.
Inclusion: art as a social catalyst
True to its DNA, this 12th edition reaffirms that art is a common good. Four sites will host major workshops:
- Centre écologique For Sopi (Ngayna) — Workshops with village schoolchildren
- Fondation Henri Jay — Workshop dedicated to people with disabilities
- Centre Éclosion Sociale — Inclusive workshop for children with Down syndrome
- Musée CRDS (ex-IFAN) — Workshop for young talents and students (secondary school)
More than 80 pupils and 20 young talents will take part in these workshops, guided by resident artists. The artist ceases to be an exhibitor and becomes a transmitter: every invited creator commits to a pedagogical and social mission at the heart of the city.
The virtual gallery: Saint-Louis shines across the world
For the first time, the Itinéraires exhibition takes an entirely virtual form on ndarcreation.com. This is not a retreat: it is a deliberate strategy, aimed at transforming a physical constraint into an opportunity for permanent international reach.
- 30 selected artists exhibit in high definition with detailed biographical profiles
- Direct connection module for collectors (Monaco, Paris, New York…)
- Secure digital sales system, operational from 2 May 2026
- Lasting visibility: the exhibition never closes
Saint-Louis, city of all confluences, thus asserts itself as an African cultural capital fully anchored in the digital world — without renouncing the artistic standards and social vocation that have defined the Itinéraires for twelve years.