Les Extatiques 2026–2027, Paris La Défense
Other Worlds (D’autres mondes) – Les Extatiques
Commissioned by Paris La Défense
Curated by COAL (Lauranne Germond & Sara Dufour)
Eva Albarran & Co works with Paris La Défense as executive producer of Les Extatiques for the 2026–2027 season. Lauranne Germond and Sara Dufour share the artistic direction of the 2026 edition, Other Worlds. Since 2008, the association has supported artists whose work engages with ecological issues. From the underground spaces beneath the Grande Arche to the façades overlooking the esplanade, exhibitions, acrobatic performances, a photography trail and shadow theatre invite visitors to discover the district through the eyes of its artists.
Sous l’horizon – exhibition – April 2026
From 3 to 26 April 2026, Sous l’horizon opens the new season of Les Extatiques in the Salle des Colonnes, a 1,000-square-metre space beneath the Grande Arche that is usually closed to the public. Wearing headphones and carrying an ultraviolet torch, visitors venture into the darkness to explore the world beneath the waves. Deep-sea forms, sculptures and site-specific installations unfold alongside bioluminescence, sound works, speculative narratives and immersive environments. Together they create a sensory journey inspired by the ocean depths and the largely unexplored ecosystems found there. Written by Mariette Navarro and narrated by Emily Loizeau, the audio piece guides visitors on a descent that moves between scientific reality and poetic fiction.
A programme of talks, scientific discussions and public events extended the exhibition’s exploration of environmental issues, marine biodiversity and new ways of representing the living world. Researchers, oceanographers, artists and scientific institutions came together to discuss bioluminescence, marine ecosystems and the relationship between contemporary art and ecology. Artists: Antoine Bertin, Jérémie Brugidou, Ugo Schiavi and Shivay La Multiple.
Les Voyages and Möbius, Collectif XY – performance – June 2026
For nearly 20 years, Collectif XY has developed acrobatics into a language in its own right, rooted in the art of movement. Working in large numbers by design, the acrobats expand the possibilities of their practice. They explore how a crowd moves as a single body and how individuals relate to the group and their surroundings. The collective brings the same rigour to performances on major stages and in public spaces.
From 8 to 12 June, the acrobats of Collectif XY take to the public spaces of La Défense. At the heart of Les Voyages is a universal gesture, that of carrying another person. As the performers immerse themselves in the life of the district, they continually find new ways to lift and support one another. These subtle disruptions to everyday life invite passers-by to see their surroundings afresh and give expression to the collective’s ambition to make the world a little lighter, both literally and figuratively. On 9 June, the collective gives two performances of Möbius at the foot of the steps of the Grande Arche. Created with choreographer Rachid Ouramdane, the piece draws inspiration from flocks of birds. Some twenty acrobats echo their movements in a succession of flights, falls and lifts. As the acrobats encounter the people who use La Défense every day, the district’s distinctive architecture frames a series of tableaux of almost unreal graphic beauty. The performers’ remarkable acrobatic skill brings these scenes to life, culminating in a finale in which the public takes part.
Brèches – Exhibition – September to November 2026
From 17 September to 15 November, Brèches brings together Marine Lanier, Elsa Leydier, Julien Lombardi and SMITH for an open-air photography trail marking the bicentenary of photography. The works appear on walls, windows and street furniture throughout La Défense. On the façade of Notre-Dame-de-Pentecôte church, Marine Lanier’s photographs of swirling currents transform the surface of a stream into a monumental landscape. Elsewhere along the trail, Elsa Leydier’s analogue photographs, treated with herbal infusions, enter into dialogue with Julien Lombardi’s geological landscapes and the silhouettes SMITH captures with a thermal camera. Looking back to the June programme, Samuel Buton’s photographs document encounters between the acrobats of Collectif XY and passers-by.
Les Sociétés secrètes / Le Monstre – hand-shadow performance – September to December 2026
On more than nine dates, Philippe Beau presents an original hand-shadow performance inside Raymond Moretti’s Le Monstre, a monumental wood and metal sculpture housed beneath the La Défense esplanade since 1973. For this performance in the Les Sociétés secrètes series, Beau works with the shadows cast by the sculpture itself. In the darkness, his hands conjure animal silhouettes that merge with the contours of the work. With each gesture, the light picks out a ridge or a hollow. As part of the same series, Popline Fichot leads storytelling walks among the sculptures of La Défense, weaving together mythology, humour and personal memories.
Artists and artistic collaborations, 2026 edition
+ Sous l’horizon: Antoine Bertin, Jérémie Brugidou, Ugo Schiavi and Shivay La Multiple. Mariette Navarro wrote the audio narrative, performed by actress Emily Loizeau.
+ Les Voyages and Möbius: Collectif XY, in collaboration with choreographer Rachid Ouramdane for Möbius.
+ Brèches: Marine Lanier, Elsa Leydier, Julien Lombardi and SMITH. Alongside the trail, Samuel Buton exhibits his photographs of Collectif XY at La Défense.
+ Les Sociétés secrètes: Popline Fichot and Philippe Beau.
Executive Production: Eva Albarran & Co
Technical Direction: Playtime Production