IIt is natural that we are deeply concerned about the conclusions of the Court of Auditors report that has just been published. They recommend not only the abolition of the National Center for Plastic Arts (CNAP) by 2030, but also the distribution of its current mission in the interests of the general direction of art creation of the Ministry of Culture for the support of artists, as well as, for the management of the collection of works, in the interests of the Pompidou Center, the depository museum and the regional contemporary art fund (FRAC).
Today, CNAP is emerging as an ideological target. The extraordinary procedure of a temporary order addressed directly to Matignon from the Court of Auditors reveals the seriousness of the moment. Beyond the existence of this institution, what is targeted is a cultural conception based on public service, emancipation and solidarity.
CNAP is not just one administrative operator among others. He worked with artists, designers and photographers on the French scene, throughout their careers, intervening at key moments: assisting in the production of a work, the publication of a book, in the commissioning or acquisition of a work.
Artistic diversity
Therefore, CNAP participates in structuring their journey over time. Supporting live creation, supporting venues, including galleries and publishers.
Lastly, by spreading the works of the collection throughout the region, artistic diversity is present in everyone’s daily life, as a resource and a right. In the fragile field of fine art, it acts as a shock absorber, stabilizer, compass. This allows unique practices to emerge that, without it, would sometimes never come to fruition.
The French art world needs clear and unequivocal support. That is the conclusion of the Bethenod report, commissioned this year by Culture Minister Rachida Dati. Not in a limiting or identity-based way as some would like to impose, but by recognizing what this scene really is: made up of artists living and working in France, whatever their nationality, and French artists wherever they live in the world. It is in this open, friendly and demanding definition that CNAP plays an irreplaceable role, by establishing a collection of references and ensuring that the diversity of contemporary creation receives lasting recognition.
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