Read also
IF Export: interview with curatorial duo d-o-t-s
11 December 2025
Highlights of the Season of Ukraine in France
9 December 2025
From Brasilia to Salvador, a look back at the opening of the Season of France in Brazil
Published on 10 September 2025
Launched in August in Brasília and São Paulo, followed by Belém and Salvador, the Saison de la France au Brésil kicked off with a series of cultural and artistic events drawing large audiences. Exhibitions, performances, concerts and debates marked the kick-off, described by curator Anne Louyot as "the launch of an ambitious program that will unfold throughout the year in both countries".
Highlights of the opening
The opening began with the Convergences Forum, in partnership with the CoMA Festival, where young people from Brazil and France debated contemporary democratic challenges, consistent with the shared commitments of Presidents Macron and Lula to promote fairer, more inclusive globalization.
The institutional opening ceremony in Brasília, at the National Library, brought together over 400 guests, including Culture Minister Margareth Menezes, French Ambassador to Brazil Emmanuel Lenain, France-Brazil Season curator Anne Louyot, Brazil-France Season curator Emilio Kalil, as well as Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, Chairman of the Board of Engie and President of the France-Brazil 2025 Patrons' Committee.
The general public was treated to tightrope walker Johanne Humblet's Respire performance, the Nego Fugido exhibition, and Angélique Kidjo's concert with guest performers Daniela Mercury, Karla da Silva and Puma Camillê, demonstrating the creativity and diversity of the Season's programming.
In São Paulo, guests took part in a guided tour of the exhibition Le Pouvoir de mes Mains and attended the performance Atomic Joy by choreographer Ana Pi, the Concert Brésil-France conducted by Lucas Santtana, and the open-air show Les Voyages. Finally, they had the opportunity to discover the Play - FITE - Biennale Textile de Clermont-Ferrand exhibition, in the presence of numerous personalities, including Raí, patron of the Season.
In addition to these two cities, Belém and Salvador also hosted opening events. In Belém, the major scientific seminar Connexions Amazoniennes, devoted to Franco-Brazilian cooperation on environmental and climate issues, was held ahead of COP30, as was the opening of the Biennale des Amazones, marked by a strong presence of French artists from French Guiana and the West Indies.
Salvador hosted the inauguration of three exhibitions: Roméo Mivekannin at the Bahia Museum of Modern Art co-produced with Louvre-Lens, Fatumbi at the Bahia Museum of Art, and the Collection FRAC au MAC_BAHIA at the Bahia Museum of Contemporary Art. In addition to these exhibitions, at the opening, the French Embassy launched a major cultural cooperation program between France, Brazil and African countries: the Villa Fatumbi, at a press conference at the Pierre Verger Foundation.
The opening in figures
Over 25,000 people across Brazil attended the opening sequence of events.
More than 500 publications in a wide range of media, including Correio Braziliense, Folha de S. Paulo, O Estado de S. Paulo, Agência Brasil, Valor Econômico, Marie Claire, Rádio Cultura FM, TV Cultura Brasília and GPS Brasília. All of which testifies to the Season's high media profile.
Nearly 2 million views on social network posts for the Season of France in Brazil.
What's next for the Season?
After this successful launch, the Season will continue with major events, such as the Niki de Saint Phalle exhibition at Casa Fiat in Belo Horizonte, the FotoRio Festival in Rio de Janeiro, the Earth, Fire, Water and Winds. Pour un musée de l'Errance avec Édouard Glissant at the Tomie Ohtake Institute in São Paulo, the French presence at the São Paulo Art Biennale, the Mobilité universitaire Brésil-France-Afrique-Caraïbe colloquium organized by Campus France in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and much more.
In November, the Season will host the Festival Nosso Futuro in Salvador, including a music festival, the Trace Fest, the Les Grandes Tables gastronomic encounters organized in several restaurants in the city, and the Forum Nosso Futuro, where the city of Salvador and the state of Bahia will become the vibrant stage for great dialogues between Africa, Brazil and France.
On the same theme
Network space
Lʼespace réseau provides members of the French cultural network abroad with personalized tools and offers.