Since 2008, the association that runs Le Portique center of contemporary art has been a prominent feature on the creative landscape in Le Havre. It is headed by the visual artist and exhibition curator Patrice Lebret, someone with an avid interest in every kind of medium. As far as he is concerned, there are absolutely no boundaries between photography, visual arts, design and architecture. At Le Portique, leading international artists rub shoulders with emerging talents.

To coincide with the festivities for the 500th anniversary of Le Havre, the art center has been given a makeover, expanding itself on two more floors of the Danton district building. A new exhibition center looks outward over the city and its residents, because here art cannot exist if it is not shared: Le Portique stands out particularly through its mediation work and especially its outreach efforts for the younger generations, aiming to develop critical thinking and more widespread access to culture.