Founded in 1951 on the initiative of the first French ambassador to the FRG, André-François Poncet, as a symbol of German-French reconciliation, with the purpose of promoting the peaceful development of relations between the two countries, the Institut français is, in addition to its function as the official language center of the French state, a cultural center committed to a lively intercultural dialogue. One of its main focuses is the field of visual arts. In cooperation with the MWK B.-W., the IF Stuttgart has regularly curated the exhibition series "Retour de Paris" since 1986, thus providing a platform for scholarship holders from the state of Baden-Württemberg in cooperation with the Cité Internationale des Arts Paris.