History of the FRAC Champagne-Ardenne
In 40 years, the FRAC Champagne-Ardenne has been able to write a unique, coherent and constantly renewed history in order to answer the question that presided over its constitution, as early as 1983: how to “constitute an art collection of today?”1 ?
The arrival of Catherine Bompuis at the FRAC’s management in 1984 was decisive in creating the identity of the structure. Her mandate was structured around the following purpose : “making the FRAC autonomous, finding a place, structuring a collection and creating exhibitions.” This ambitious groundbreaking work was accompanied, from the beginning, by a strong conviction that will never leave the FRAC Champagne-Ardenne: the FRAC must be a laboratory in which the artist and the artwork are central.
Her action was continued by Laurence Imbernon (1988-1993) who, in 1990, accompanied the relocation of the FRAC to its current site: the former Jesuit College of Reims. Settling in this place of anchorage has shaken a program that, until then, relied on collaborations with institutions for the creation of exhibitions outside the walls.
Having inherited this double experience of ex situ and in situ exhibitions, Nathalie Ergino (1994-2001) perpetuated this system, the College thus becoming the basis of a branching project in the region. The FRAC had to live in creation: “We then talked about the notion of production: being upstream, creating an exhibition that would in turn trigger acquisitions, which could themselves be disseminated in the region3 . » . Out of these territorial encounters were born some of the collection’s masterpieces, among which the works of Raymond Hains (already invited by Catherine Bompuis), Chris Burden, Jimmie Durham or Philippe Ramette. Nathalie Ergino’s mandate, turned towards creation, was naturally inscribed in an open and generous orientation: art and life.
LFrançois Quintin’s (2001-2007) first exhibition at the FRAC, “Alchimie de la rencontre” (Alchemy of the encounter), revealed the common thread of his artistic project: a program open to other disciplines, notably music, culinary art, video games or cinema. “An artwork is always the pledge of an encounter with the thought of an artist 4.” ; Through this spirit of celebration, the public discovered a bold interdisciplinary program placed under the sign of encounter.
Florence Derieux’s (2008-2016) programmation, notably based on an increased presentation of monographic exhibitions, has perpetuated the presence of artists in Champagne-Ardenne. The title of her first exhibition, “La fête est permanente” (The party is permanent), a tribute to the artist Robert Filliou, announced the theme of her project.
The idea of a laboratory FRAC, which programming is characterized by the presence of numerous French and foreign artists invited to discover, analyze, build and deconstruct the narratives of a territory, continues with the current director, Marie Griffay. Her artistic program, entitled “L’esprit du jeu, entre règles et turbulences” (The spirit of play, between rule and turbulence), follows on from the themes previously initiated.
Art and life, art and meeting, art and celebration, art and play,… are the successive themes that have shaped the FRAC Champagne-Ardenne.
- Michel Laval, Célébration! : 20 ans du Frac Champagne-Ardenne, Reims : Collège/Frac Champagne-Ardenne, 2004, p. 15
- Catherine Bompuis, Célébration!, Ibid., p. 277
- Nathalie Ergino, Célébration!, Ibid., p. 323
- François Quintin, Célébration!, Ibid., p. 382