Editors’ note
After exploring in previous issues the project of the Foundation of Contemporary Art (L’Officiel Art no.19, September 2016) and various commitments in the fields of cultural philanthropy and sponsorship (L’Officiel Art no.26, June 2018), we believed it was necessary to highlight those companies that have chosen to devote funding and energy to the acquisition of artworks intended primarily for employees and company partners.
We have reflected on the identity of each of these corporate collections, the synergies developed, the shared values, their content, the purchasing policy, and the role they play in the art market through support for artists and galleries, as well as possible extensions through the creation of a prize or foundation.
We met three major French companies with an international presence: Societe Generale,
Renault, and Colas Group. Each of them illustrates a specific model and demonstrates a strength of purpose often linked to the original ambition of an individual. These leaders, driven by their cultural inclinations and the acuteness of their progressive vision, are eager to include all of their teams in what they consider to be a shared project – one that they try to give the greatest possible visibility. They do this by opening their collections to the public, or by organizing exhibitions beyond the company premises.
The strength of the unifying collective constitutes a form of support, both for young artists and for those unjustly neglected by the history of art, as well as a mode of recognition granted via entry into the collection.