The acquisition of an artwork: from the acquisition committee, to patronage with the MNAM

The acquisition group of the National Museum of Modern Art (MNAM) guide the decisions of the Centre Pompidou in order to nourish and enrich the permanent collections of the museum.

These groups which were created respectively in 2002, 2014 and 2016, focus on Contemporary Art, Photography and Design, on an international scale. These francophone committees help develop the collections by uniting patrons through their knowledge and interests by medium.

The GAAC – Groupe Acquisition Art Contemporain – is the first acquisition committee created in France. These are the patrons who propose the artists they want to include to the collections, by exchanging with the conservation team.

Meetings and exchanges, both with artists and with the heads of the institution, punctuate the acquisition procedures over time. Contributions and donations from donors finance the acquisitions.

In 2017, Estelle Francès supported Alice Anderson’s work within the committee which she is a part of. And it is through this same committee that Raphaël Denis’ work La loi normale des erreurs: coffre n°7 is integrated into the permanent collections of the Centre Pompidou in 2019.

Patronage participates in the ecosystem of an institution, and also benefits from a tax reduction. Making a donation to a work of general interest (or contributing to the enhancement of artistic heritage, the defense of the environment or the propagation of culture) offers a tax reduction of 60% of the amount of the donation (up to 20% of an individual’s income and 0.5% of the annual turnover for enterprises).

Visual: Alice Anderson, détail d’une oeuvre, lors de sa première exposition personnelle « Itinéraires d’un corps/Spiritual Machines » du 12 janvier au 17 mars 2018 à la Patinoire Royale, Bruxelles © Arroi 2018