FRACs Celebrate 30 Years with Les Pléiades Exhibition at Les Abattoirs
The exhibition Les Pléiades, hosted at Les Abattoirs in Toulouse, marks the 30th anniversary of France's twenty-three Fonds régionaux d'art contemporain (FRACs) from September 28, 2013, to January 5, 2014. Established in the early 1980s under a socialist government, these FRACs collectively house approximately 26,000 pieces, ranking as France's third-largest public collection of contemporary art. Each FRAC functions autonomously with its own budget, supported by state and regional councils. Many have established permanent locations, featuring designs from renowned architects such as Odile Decq and Bjarke Ingels Group. While they foster artistic support and cultural democratization, growing disparities have drawn criticism from Valéry Didelon and Françoise Fromonot, highlighting their ongoing importance for cultural decentralization.
Key facts
- Les Pléiades exhibition at Les Abattoirs, Toulouse, runs from September 28, 2013, to January 5, 2014.
- The FRACs collectively hold nearly 26,000 works, making them the third-largest public contemporary art collection in France.
- There are 23 independent FRAC collections, each with its own acquisition budget.
- FRACs are jointly funded by the French state and regional councils.
- Second-generation FRACs have commissioned buildings from architects including Odile Decq, Jakob + MacFarlane, Bjarke Ingels Group, Kengo Kuma, and Lacaton & Vassal.
- FRACs acquire works directly from artists and galleries, often supporting production.
- Critics Valéry Didelon and Françoise Fromonot published a critique in Criticat n°12 (autumn 2013).
- The FRACs were founded in the early 1980s by the socialist government.
Entities
Artists
- Bernard Marcelis
- Valéry Didelon
- Françoise Fromonot
Institutions
- Fonds régionaux d'art contemporain (FRAC)
- Les Abattoirs
- Centre national des arts plastiques (Cnap)
- Centre Pompidou
- FRAC Bretagne
- FRAC Centre
- FRAC Aquitaine
- FRAC Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
- FRAC Franche-Comté
- FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais
- Criticat
- Flammarion
Locations
- Toulouse
- France
- Rennes
- Orléans
- Bordeaux
- Marseille
- Besançon
- Dunkirk
- Avignon
- Nantes
- Strasbourg
- Arles
Sources
- artpress —