Presentation of the collection
Since 1983, the Frac Île-de-France has been engaged in a process of exploration aimed at building a collection representative of contemporary art. It was conceived from the beginning as a tool to support current artistic creation and raise public awareness. Since 2017, with the creation of the Frac label by the Ministry of Culture, the collection has the status of a public collection. After focusing on certain specific themes and issues (the question of representation in painting, the place of the object in sculpture), the collection is now looking to develop four areas of focus:
- Acquiring works resulting from collaborative and socially engaged practices, particularly those incorporating the issue of disability (learn more about accessibility at the Frac);
- Practicable works or works for use: protocols to activate, furniture, video games, board games, works dedicated to specific senses (touch, smell, etc.), small format works for the Flash collection project;
- Develop the acquisition of works dealing with contemporary imagery (videos, photographs, works co-created with AI, etc.);
- Develop the acquisition of emerging practices in Île-de-France, where the artistic pool is abundant, in order to support young creation.
The exhibitions presented at the Plateau and the Reserves give rise to acquisition proposals which, once integrated into the collection, become the living trace of of Frac Île-de-France’s programming. Some works created specifically by the invited artists are thus acquired, bringing together two essential missions: enriching and disseminating the collection.
Today, with over 2,200 works, this public collection is built on a firm commitment to contemporary creation. It affirms both the role of Frac Île-de-France in supporting artists and its determination to make a leading artistic heritage accessible to everyone.
The dissemination of the collection is reflected in the active circulation of the works: on a regional scale through the Hors les Murs (Outside the Walls) program, as well as nationally and internationally through numerous loans and deposits.
Discover the dissemination of the collection Offsite, the procedure for acquiring art works, and how to apply for a loan.
Database
Concerned with making the collection accessible to a greater audience, Frac Île-de-France and Videomuseum are delighted to give you access to the entire collection’s database click here.
This database includes content on the works themselves (medium, acquisition, exhibitions, notices), but also on the artists, as well as a bibliographic section.
