The Centre Pompidou-Metz in France has canceled a planned survey of Caribbean and Guyanese art titled “Van Lévé,” curated by Guadeloupean curator Claire Tancons. The exhibition, scheduled to open in October 2026, was to feature artists including Gaëlle Choisne and Pol Taburet. Museum director Chiara Parisi cited budgetary constraints in an email to Tancons, but Tancons disputed this, noting that the Ford Foundation had already contributed $500,000. A group of artists and curators, including Zineb Sedira and Tabita Rezaire, issued a statement condemning the cancellation and questioning whether bias played a role.
The cancellation matters because it raises concerns about institutional support for curators and artists from the Caribbean and French overseas territories, and whether budget justifications mask deeper issues of racial or regional bias. It also comes at a sensitive time for the Centre Pompidou, which is shifting programming away from its Paris base ahead of a five-year renovation. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions in the French art world around diversity, representation, and the autonomy of curators from marginalized backgrounds.