Beninese art draws inspiration from animist cultural practices. As an expression of ancestral traditions, it preserves all the splendour of its heritage.

Wood, copper, iron, bronze, pottery, basketry and painting are meticulously crafted by Beninese artists. Their world is created from tradition. They represent the past, the present and even the future. In cultural art as in contemporary representations, there is a coexistence between tradition and modernity, between the real and the unreal.

The artworks give voice to symbols, images, figures and even deities.

Sacred masks, cultural dances and traditional celebrations are the components of a remarkably rich culture. From north to south, Benin displays a variety of rhythms and dances that carry forward an ancestral heritage.

Benin is also distinguished by historical remnants and elaborately decorated palaces bearing witness to its glorious past. Animism rests upon a polytheistic conception of the universe.

January 10th is a public holiday in Benin: the national celebration of Vodoun worship.

The Gaani festival in December in the kingdom of Nikki is a major cultural event among the Baatonu people in Benin. It is a celebration of identity.

The Yam festival in Savalou, held every August 15th each year, is an opportunity for the Mahi people to gather, and beyond that, a national celebration.

The Nonvitcha festivals celebrate Xwla and Xweda culture.

The Wemexe festival highlights the cultural riches of the Goun people of Ouémé and Plateau.