The Fonds national d'art contemporain (FNAC; National Foundation for Contemporary Art) is a public collection of

contemporary art Contemporary art is a term used to describe the art of today, generally referring to art produced from the 1970s onwards. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. It does not hold exhibitions but acquires and stores works of art that it loans to

museums A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private collections that are used by researchers ...

, cultural institutions and temporary exhibitions in France and abroad. It is the largest collection of contemporary art in France.

Collection

FNAC is little-known, but is the largest collection of living art in

. As of 2014 it had 70,000 works of

visual art The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, image, filmmaking, design, crafts, and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and texti ...

photography Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is empl ...

, decorative art and design. The FNAC has its origins in the ''Bureau des travaux d'art'' (Office of Art Works) created in 1878, which became the FNAC in 1976. In 1981 it became the responsibility of the ''Délégation aux arts plastiques'' of the

French Ministry of Culture The Ministry of Culture () is the ministry (government department), ministry of the Government of France in charge of List of museums in France, national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and pro ...

. It supports creation of art through acquisition of the work of living artists, and disseminates the work. As well as purchasing work by established artists, it tries to discover new creations of young artists. The FNAC adapts to contemporary trends and is open to diverse artistic approaches. FNAC stores its collection in a facility under the Esplanade de la Défense. The

Centre national des arts plastiques The Centre national des arts plastiques (National Centre for Visual Arts, or CNAP) is a French institution established in 1982 under the Ministry of Culture and Communication that promotes creation of visual arts. It provides assistance to artists ...

(CNAP) manages the collection. Information on the collection is maintained by Videomuseum. FNAC does not exhibit the works, which are meant to be placed on deposit or loaned to museums and cultural institutions, or loaned to exhibitions in France and abroad. Every year almost 2,000 items are loaned for temporary displays in France or abroad, including thematic exhibitions, solo exhibitions, retrospectives and so on. The FNAC takes care of

packaging Packaging is the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of designing, evaluating, and producing packages. Packaging can be described as a coo ...

transportation Transport (in British English) or transportation (in American English) is the intentional Motion, movement of humans, animals, and cargo, goods from one location to another. Mode of transport, Modes of transport include aviation, air, land tr ...

, ensuring a suitable environment in the place of

exhibition An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibiti ...

, and restoration. David-Antiochus et Stratonice.jpg,

Jacques-Louis David Jacques-Louis David (; 30 August 1748 – 29 December 1825) was a French painter in the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical style, considered to be the preeminent painter of the era. In the 1780s, his cerebral brand of history painting marked a change in ...

, '' Erasistratus Discovering the Cause of Antiochus' Disease'', 1774. Júpiter y Tetis, por Dominique Ingres.jpg,

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres ( ; ; 29 August 1780 – 14 January 1867) was a French Neoclassicism, Neoclassical Painting, painter. Ingres was profoundly influenced by past artistic traditions and aspired to become the guardian of academic ...

, '' Jupiter and Thetis'', 1811. L'Éducation d'Henri IV - Jean-Baptiste Mallet - MBA Lyon 2014.jpg, Jean-Baptiste Mallet, ''L'Éducation d'Henri IV'', 1817. Le Voeu de Louis XIII.jpg,

, ''

The Vow of Louis XIII ''The Vow of Louis XIII'' is an 1824 oil painting on canvas by the French Neoclassical artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, now in Montauban Cathedral. The painting depicts a vow to the Virgin Mary by Louis XIII of France. It was commissioned ...

'', 1824. Scene of deluge-Joseph Desire Court-MBA Lyon A23-IMG 0453.jpg,

Joseph-Désiré Court Joseph-Désiré Court (14 September 1797, Rouen – 23 January 1865, Paris) was a French painter of historical subjects and portraits. Life and work He was a descendant of the portrait painter Hyacinthe Rigaud and displayed an early interest in a ...

, '' Scene from the Great Flood'', 1826. Ingres Martyre Saint-Symphorien.jpg,

, ''

The Martyrdom of Saint Symphorian ''The Martyrdom of Saint Symphorian'' is an 1834 painting by the French artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. It shows the death of Saint Symphorian, the first Christian martyr in Gaul. Painted in oil on canvas and measuring 407 x 339 cm, it is ...

'', 1834. Hippolyte Flandrin - Le Dante, conduit par Virgile, offre des consolations aux âmes des Envieux.jpg,

Hippolyte Flandrin Jean-Hippolyte Flandrin (23 March 1809 – 21 March 1864) was a French Neoclassical painter. His most celebrated work, ''Study (Young Male Nude Seated Beside the Sea), Jeune Homme Nu Assis au Bord de la Mer'' (1836) is held in the Louvre. Biog ...

, '' Dante in Hell'', 1835. Chassériau - Le Christ au Jardin des Oliviers, 1840, D 2002-1.jpg,

Théodore Chassériau Théodore Chassériau (; ; September 20, 1819 – October 8, 1856) was a Dominican-born French Romantic painter noted for his portraits, historical and religious paintings, allegorical murals, and Orientalist images inspired by his travels to A ...

, '' Christ in the Garden of Olives'', 1840. Rachel "La Tragédie" par Gérôme 02.png,

Jean-Léon Gérôme Jean-Léon Gérôme (; 11 May 1824 – 10 January 1904) was a French painter and sculptor in the style now known as Academic painting, academicism. His paintings were so widely reproduced that he was "arguably the world's most famous living art ...

, ''Rachel, « La Tragédie »'', 1859. Doré Gustave-Entre ciel et terre (2).jpg,

Gustave Doré Paul Gustave Louis Christophe Doré ( , , ; 6January 1832 – 23January 1883) was a French printmaker, illustrator, painter, comics artist, caricaturist, and sculptor. He is best known for his prolific output of wood-engravings illustrati ...

, ''Entre ciel et terre'', 1862. Une leçon clinique à la Salpêtrière.jpg, André Brouillet, ''

A Clinical Lesson at the Salpêtrière ''A Clinical Lesson at the Salpêtrière'' () is an 1887 group tableau portrait painted by the history and genre art, genre artist André Brouillet (1857–1914). The painting, one of the best-known in the history of medicine, shows the neurolog ...

'', 1887. Pierre-Auguste Renoir - Colonna Romano.jpg,

Auguste Renoir Pierre-Auguste Renoir (; ; 25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French people, French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionism, Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty and especially femininity, fe ...

, ''Portrait de Colonna Romano'', 1912. Jacqueline Marval - La grande plage à Biarritz.jpg,

Jacqueline Marval Jacqueline Marval was the pseudonym for Marie Josephine Vallet (19 October 1866 – 28 May 1932), who was a French painter, lithographer and sculptor. Early life Vallet was born in Quaix-en-Chartreuse into a family of school teachers. She was ...

, ''La Grande Plage à Biarritz'', 1923.

Acquisition process

Between 1981 and 2014 about 9,000 works by 3,500 different artists have been acquired by the FNAC. FNAC buys 600 to 1,000 new works each year. Purchasing recommendations are made by a commission of members of the arts community, including critics,

collectors Collector(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Collector (2011 film), ''Collector'' (2011 film), an Indian Malayalam film * Collector (2016 film), ''Collector'' (2016 film), a Russian film * Collectors (film), ''Collectors'' (film), a 2020 So ...

artists An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...

, and representatives from the

Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: * Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) * Ministry of Culture (Algeria) * Ministry of Culture (Argentina) * Minister for the Arts (Australia) * Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan)Ministry o ...

. The commission meets several times each year to review requests for acquisitions made by artists or galleries. Artists must not have sold their work to the state for two years, and only one nomination is allowed every two years unless specifically requested by the commission. The works are acquired by specialized committees for

visual arts The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics (art), ceramics, photography, video, image, filmmaking, design, crafts, and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual a ...

, photography, decorative art and design. Members are appointed by the

Minister of Culture A culture minister or a heritage minister is a common cabinet position in governments. The culture minister is typically responsible for cultural policy, which often includes arts policy (direct and indirect support to artists and arts organiza ...

for three-year terms.

References

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fonds National D'art Contemporain 1878 establishments in France Art museums and galleries in France Art museums and galleries established in 1878 La Défense