Les Belcoua in the garden of Habitation Clément (Domaine de l'Acajou)
For the Rendez-vous aux Jardins 2026, the Domaine du François is opening up its 15-hectare park to a theme that touches on something profoundly universal: sight. RICHÈS KARAYIB follows the Belcoua family on a tour of the Remarkable Gardens of Martinique. That day, between baobabs, monumental sculptures and tall tropical trees, they discover together that a garden can also teach us to look differently.
Émile and Jocelyne Belcoua set off down the gravel driveway that runs beneath the canopy of tall trees. Kévin walks beside his grandfather, with the same quiet step. To the right, a body of water sleeps under the filtered light of the foliage. Above, the branches form a living roof that draws the eye upwards. The visit hasn’t really begun, but it has, in a way, already taken place. All you had to do was look.
It is precisely this attention to the eye that the estate intends to invite the public to experience on June 6 and 7, on the occasion of the 2026 edition of the Rendez-vous aux Jardins in Martinique, this year under the theme of the view. A theme that particularly resonates with the identity of the site, where tropical nature and contemporary art are in constant dialogue.
Domaine de l'Acajou, Jardin Remarquable since 2011
“The estate covers 160 hectares, and we have dedicated 15 hectares to cultural and tourist activities,” explains Célia Saint-Ville, tourism manager at Habitation Clément.
More than 300 plant species have been identified on this site. Visitors will come across emblematic tropical species such as the breadfruit, the baobab and palms in a collection of eighty varieties, as well as remarkable trees along the way: the cannonball tree, the hourglass tree – all silent presences that invite you to take it easy.
The “Jardin Remarquable” label, awarded by the French Ministry of Culture, recognizes this diversity, as well as the landscaping that organizes the whole.
Two parks coexist here: the old one, which surrounds the historic house, and the new one, planted some thirty years ago. Between the two, there’s a free walk – an hour for those who want to go fast, a whole morning for those who take the time to stroll. Émile takes his time.
Jocelyne stops in front of every palm tree, observing every leaf, every bark.
Kévin walks at their pace, attentive, lingering in front of a cannonball tree he’s discovering for the first time.
Le Jardin des Sculptures: an open-air museum in Martinique
It’s that at the bend of a path, the garden changes nature. What sets this place apart is this open-air museum, born almost by chance.
“In 2011, the Fondation Clément held an exhibition at the Orangerie du Sénat with 22 artists from Réunion, Guyane, Martinique and Guadeloupe,” explains Régine Bonnaire, project manager at the Fondation Clément.
This exhibition, OMA (Outre-mer Art Contemporain), featured works designed for the outdoors. Among them, BLOOD by Thierry Alet and AVANÇONS TOUS ENSEMBLE by Luz Severino.
Once the exhibition was over, some of the works were moved to the gardens of Habitation Clément. Thus was born, more by opportunity than by original design, the Jardin des Sculptures. Today, more than twenty monumental works are displayed here, signed by internationally renowned artists such as Daniel Buren and Bernard Venet, as well as Caribbean artists Hervé Beuze, Christian Bertin, Michel Rovelas, Luz Severino and Thierry Alet.
A rare encounter between the global and Caribbean scenes, as close as possible to the visitor.
See art differently in the heart of a Remarkable Garden
It is in this silent dialogue that the promise of the 2026 edition of Rendez-vous aux Jardins is played out.
“People have the impression that contemporary art is something abstruse, that it’s not accessible to everyone,” observes Régine Bonnaire.
“Now, we can learn by having fun, we can learn to look, we can learn to question ourselves.”
Kévin looks up at the sculpture towering above him.
Jocelyne, without a word, places her hand on the red material.
Émile, beside them, lets himself be penetrated by the presence of the work.
And it is perhaps here, in the end, that the uniqueness of the place is revealed:
“The advantage of the sculpture garden is that you can touch them. You can experiment with the materials, you can play with the sculptures”, Régine Bonnaire points out.
The garden at Habitation Clément invites you to get up close and personal. It’s a place to skirt, to touch and to be amazed. Art becomes a playground as much as an object of contemplation, and for visitors to the Rendez-vous aux Jardins in Martinique, themed tours and workshops will extend this invitation to sharpen the eye.
Rendez-vous aux Jardins 2026: the art of seeing with the family
At a time when we talk so much about transmission, but don’t always know how to bring it to life, Habitation Clément offers a rare setting: a place where three generations can simply discover, observe and marvel together. See a baobab tree, walk around a sculpture, recognize the silhouette of a tree in a work of art, or the motif of a work of art in a tree.
“The aim is to invite visitors to see not only the garden, but also art in a different light”, Régine Bonnaire sums up.
For the Belcoua family, this first visit marks the start of a journey through Martinique’s remarkable gardens.
📌 IN PRACTICE
Rendez-vous aux Jardins 2026 – Habitation Clément (Domaine de l’Acajou)
📅 Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June 2026
📍 Domaine de l’Acajou, 97240 Le François, Martinique
🎟️ Free admission on both days
🌿 Self-guided tour, workshops and themed tours on site
The first part of the Jardins Remarquables series, an exploration by RICHÈS KARAYIB for the Rendez-vous aux Jardins 2026, in partnership with the Direction des Affaires Culturelles (DAC) de Martinique.
