Rencontres de l'Illustration de Strasbourg

The Rencontres de l'Illustration: Strasbourg, Land of Images

Strasbourg has a deep connection with illustration, a legacy of a long tradition of printing, engraving, and graphic arts dating back to Gutenberg's invention of printing. The Rencontres de l'Illustration, created by the City and Eurometropolis of Strasbourg, perpetuate and renew this tradition by offering a major cultural event each spring dedicated to drawn images in all their forms.

A City-Wide Unifying Event

The Rencontres de l'Illustration are not just a classic festival: they constitute a cultural ecosystem mobilizing all Strasbourg institutions around a common theme. The Tomi Ungerer Museum – International Centre for Illustration, the media libraries of the Strasbourg network, the HEAR (Haute École des Arts du Rhin), Le 5e Lieu, and numerous associative players like Central Vapeur join forces to offer a rich and diverse program.

Major Exhibitions

Each edition is structured around a unifying theme presented in about ten exhibitions spread throughout the city. The Tomi Ungerer Museum hosts major retrospectives, while the André Malraux media library, the HEAR galleries, and associative spaces showcase contemporary artists, emerging collectives, and experimental projects.

Beyond Exhibitions: Meetings, Workshops, and Professional Life

The Rencontres offer a dense program of creative workshops for all audiences—children, families, adults—, conferences and round tables on the challenges of contemporary illustration, signing sessions, and an Independent Publishers' Fair bringing together alternative publishers and fanzine collectives. Professional days allow illustrators, publishers, and art directors to meet and exchange.

The installation of works in public spaces—large-format posters on the quays, ephemeral frescoes, urban trails—helps to make illustration a visible and accessible art form for the greatest number, beyond the walls of institutions.

European Reach

Strasbourg, a border city at the crossroads of Europe, attracts artists, publishers, and professionals from Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and beyond each year. The Rencontres are part of a European network of events dedicated to illustration, strengthening Strasbourg's position as a major hub for graphic creation in Europe.