The Musée régional d’art contemporain d’Occitanie in Sérignan is presenting a photographic exhibition on the theme of sport, PERFORMANCE, until September 22nd, following a collaboration with the Centre national des arts plastiques (Cnap), curated by Pascal Beausse.
Can you introduce the CNAP briefly?
Pascal Beausse: The Centre National des Arts Plastiques was founded in 1982, at the same time as the FRACs (Fonds Régionaux d’Art Contemporain), based on the principle of its collections, the Fonds National d’Art Contemporain. In reality, the CNAP is the heir to one of the services of the Division of Fine Arts, Sciences, and Shows created in 1791. Since its inception, the CNAP’s mission has been to acquire artworks to support living artists and to build a fund composed of French and international artworks. The collections include various mediums: photography, video, sculpture, painting, design, and decorative arts. The goal is to document contemporary creation as it unfolds. In 2027, the CNAP will relocate to Pantin to consolidate the collections currently kept in reserves in Paris and Île-de-France.
What are your responsibilities as the head of the CNAP’s photography collection?
Pascal Beausse: The CNAP manages a collection of 107,000 works, including 12,000 photographic works. We acquire recent works, paying attention to the diversity of current creation. Artistic commissions are one of our two ways of enriching the collections, complementing direct acquisitions from artists or galleries. Commissions are a dynamic way to make new acquisitions by funding research, creation, and production periods. The works that enter our collections are intended to be loaned or deposited in museums. Initially, each new commission program is exhibited by partner venues, such as museums, art centers, and festivals.
Currently, the “Performance” exhibition is on display at the Musée Régional d’Art Contemporain de Sérignan. What is the origin of this exhibition?
Pascal Beausse: Initiated by the Ministry of Culture, the CNAP, in partnership with the Centre Photographique of Marseille and the Musée Régional d’Art Contemporain Occitanie in Sérignan, launched a call for applications in June 2022 for a national photographic commission. Over two hundred artists responded. We aimed to showcase sports differently, highlighting emerging disciplines like breakdancing and skateboarding, which are entering the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics. The exhibition features works by artists with diverse languages, from photojournalism to documentary forms and visual arts, offering a new perspective on sports practices, close to life. The exhibition is itinerant and will be displayed in Marseille and Nantes in the coming months. The exhibited works are now part of the CNAP’s inventory, marking the first entry into public collections for most of these artists.
Pascal Beausse, curator and head of the photography collection at the Centre National des Arts Plastiques (CNAP), Paris, shares insights into his role and the institution’s mission. With a background in art history, he has also been an art critic, exhibition curator, and teacher at the École nationale des Beaux-Arts de Lyon. Since 2010, he has overseen the CNAP’s photography collection.
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