“Trading in the Unknown” : the exhibition marking the new edition of the Reiffers Initiatives Prize

Ideally located between the Ternes district and the Champs-Élysées, the art center Reiffers Art Initiatives is hosting "Trafiquer l’inconnu" at 30 Rue des Acacias, in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. This free contemporary art exhibition, visible only until June 6, 2026, shines a spotlight on the artists of France’s younger scene, gathered for the fifth edition of the Prix Reiffers Initiatives.

Eight artists exploring the new forms of contemporary creation

The 2026 edition brings together the works of artists Khaled Jarada, Louis Le Kim, Stanislava Kovalcikova, Arthur Marie, Eva Helene Pade, Ibrahim Meïté Sikely, Minh Lan Tran and Manon Wertenbroek in a group exhibition staged by Bernard Blistène, former director of the National Museum of Modern Art – Centre Pompidou.

Together, they sketch the outlines of an emerging scene, rich in its diversity and deeply rooted in its era. All share the choice of France as their creative home, actively contributing to its cultural dynamism.

Among them, Stanislava Kovalcikova has been named the winner of this edition, a decision by the artistic committee announced at the opening of the exhibition. Her paintings unfold theatrical realms, balancing tension, mystery and ambiguity as they probe confrontation, fear and human impulses.

This year also marks the introduction of a Special Mention, awarded by the jury to Khaled Jarada. His work delves into states of transition and liminal dimensions, nourished by the experience of exile and uprooting.

The exhibition also spotlights other artists with singular visions: Minh Lan Tran probes the tensions and interactions between language, movement, and matter. The paintings of Louis Le Kim draw on her explorations of industrial sites. Ibrahim Meïté Sikely creates vibrant scenes at the crossroads of visual cultures, from manga to art history, tackling themes of struggle and justice, trauma and healing.

Manon Wertenbroek interrogates the body without depicting it head-on, exploring the skin as a sensitive boundary. Eva Helene Pade develops figurative painting in a lineage of Northern European artists, where dreamlike narratives mingle with a mythological dimension. Finally, Arthur Marie reworks archival imagery from historical photographs, fashion editorials, medical imagery and the internet to create suspended, timeless compositions.

Guided by mediators, come explore “Trafiquer l’inconnu”, the 2026 Reiffers Initiatives Prize exhibition, and meet the new French art scene.