Villa Albertine Unveils Abdelkader Benchamma’s Stella Terrae in Its Iconic Ballroom Space

New York, September 29, 2026 — Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education within the French Embassy of the United States, is thrilled to unveil Stella Terrae, a striking, monumental artwork exploring humanity’s celestial origins created exclusively for its Fifth Avenue headquarters. Painted on the ceiling of the iconic Ballroom of the Payne Whitney Mansion, itself a renowned example of New York’s Gilded Age, the mural was inaugurated in a ceremony held on September 27, 2026 in the presence of the artist. 

Stella Terrae is a creation placed literally and figuratively at the center of Villa Albertine. The mural spans the ceiling of its Ballroom, a reception and program space within the institution where diplomatic, cultural and intellectual events are held. Visitors to the space will have the opportunity to engage with the artwork while experiencing exemplary offerings in French culture, ideas, and innovation. 

The design of Stella Terrae was conceived by French artist Abdelkader Benchamma, who was selected as the laureate of a jury-led competition in June 2026. Exhibiting in Europe as well as internationally, his concept was selected from a field of 225 site-specific entries. Benchamma’s body of work is further distinguished by his selection as a member of the 2026 cohort of Villa Albertine Residents, where he will continue his artistic explorations during a two-month sojourn in the United States.  

“Stella Terrae is dynamic in its very making, created in situ, in dialogue with the scale and tensions of the space, yet seemingly still through the delicacy of its execution: an invitation towards contemplation,” explained Abdelkader Benchamma. “At its core, the mural tells an essential story: humanity’s relationship with the sky, shaped by observation, knowledge, and imaginative narratives. It situates itself within a long continuum of ways of representing the cosmos while offering a contemporary interpretation of that legacy. Its title refers to a mysterious substance sometimes reported after meteorite falls. Known as “star jelly,” or stella terrae (“star of the earth”), it is surrounded by myths and contradictory interpretations, as though the celestial realm could never be fully defined, explained, or contained.”

Stella Terrae features shades of dark blue and purple, combined with iridescent accents, to evoke a celestial body in perpetual motion. For this mural, Benchamma drew inspiration from a rich body of iconography depicting celestial scenes, spanning from antiquity to the present day. Some of these depictions were created using gold leaf applied by Pierre-Yves Morel, an award-winning artisan renowned for his mastery of trompe-l’œil, with whom Benchamma had previously collaborated on large-scale projects in France, notably at the Vitry-sur-Seine metro station and the Centre Pompidou.

“With the creation of Stella Terrae, Abdelkader Benchamma has brought a bold, beautiful, and modern vision to Villa Albertine that is resonant with our Ballroom,” stated Mohamed Bouabdallah, Cultural Counselor of France within the United States and Director of Villa Albertine. “His investigations of the cosmos will enthrall visitors when they enter the most emblematic space in our headquarters for years to come. We eagerly look forward to the research he will produce during his residency in the United States.” 

Stella Terrae has been made possible through the exceptional support of the Sisley-d’Ornano Foundation, with additional support from French Heritage Society’s New York Chapter and Ann and Bill Van Ness.

The project was developed in close collaboration with the Centre national des arts plastiques (CNAP), with the support of Maison Sennelier, which provided the inks used in the creation of the work.