<p>In a town steeped in history, the institution explores environmental upheaval and contemporary art</p>
<p></p>
<p><br></p>
<p></p>

Henri Robert

Dunkirk’s Frac Grand Large investigates our future

<p>In 2013, the Frac Grand Large moved into Dunkirk’s former shipyards, where some of Europe’s largest ships were built. The architects Lacaton & Vassal – who won the Pritzker Prize in 2021 – designed the translucent space, crowned by a viewing platform from which you can see out across the whole landscape. Its collection, amassed over more than 40 years, is displayed in a large industrial hall, a reminder of the town’s own past.<br></p>

<p>Keren Detton has been the director of the Frac Grand Large since 2016, helping it develop a unique identity among France’s 22 regional contemporary art funds. The site has a collection of almost 2,000 artworks from 770 different French and international artists. These include <em>L’André</em> (2008–2011) by <a href="https://parisplus.artbasel.com/catalog/artist/8223/Sa%C3%A2dane-Afif" target="_blank">Saâdane Afif</a> – a bicycle, which makes for a symbolic choice in a region known for its rich tradition of cycling – as well as works by  <a href="https://parisplus.artbasel.com/catalog/artist/10151/General-Idea" target="_blank">General Idea</a>, <a href="https://parisplus.artbasel.com/catalog/artist/26119/Kapwani-Kiwanga" target="_blank">Kapwani Kiwanga</a>, <a href="https://parisplus.artbasel.com/catalog/artist/8111/Gerhard-Richter" target="_blank">Gerhard Richter</a>, <a href="https://parisplus.artbasel.com/catalog/artist/7779/Latifa-Echakhch" target="_blank">Latifa Echakhch</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://parisplus.artbasel.com/catalog/artist/7027/Raymond-Pettibon" target="_blank">Raymond Pettibon</a>, and others with a personal connection to the region like Christine Deknuydt. </p>

<p>The institution also stands out for the attention it gives to design. ‘When a Frac is created, the idea is to establish a fund that is as open as possible to the breadth of contemporary art. The designer Claude Courtecuisse was a member of our first acquisitions committee. He promoted this side of things, and different departments have continued to rely on expertise in this field,’ explains Detton.</p>

<p>The programming reflects this breadth of interests. From June 10, 2023 to January 14, 2024, the Frac Grand Large will present the second edition of the Triennale Art & Industrie, titled ‘Chaleur humaine – Consciences énergétiques’ (‘Human Warmth: Energy Awareness’). Organized with the help of two independent curators, Anna Colin and Camille Richert, the show brings together the work of 130 mostly French, Belgian, Dutch, and British artists, such as <a href="https://parisplus.artbasel.com/catalog/artist/11678/Roger-Ackling" target="_blank">Roger Ackling</a>, <a href="https://parisplus.artbasel.com/catalog/artist/19830/Eric-Baudelaire" target="_blank">Éric Baudelaire</a>, <a href="https://parisplus.artbasel.com/catalog/artist/7156/Val%C3%A9rie-Belin" target="_blank">Valérie Belin</a>, Io Burgard, and <a href="https://parisplus.artbasel.com/catalog/artist/21301/Suzanne-Treister" target="_blank">Suzanne Treister</a>. The artworks all come from different collections, such as that of the Centre Pompidou, but have also been directly commissioned from the artists. The works cover the period from the end of France’s ‘Trentes Glorieuses’ – the 30 years of economic growth in France following the end of the Second World War – up until the start of eco-anxiety at the beginning of the 2000s. The curators’ goal is to ‘understand the energy sector and environmental upheaval and how they have an impact on creation.’</p>

<p>In a region still bearing traces of the social and environmental impact of industry, the desire to question ‘sustainability and the future’ is echoed in the artwork recently acquired by the institution, from pieces by Dirk van der Kooij, Florence Doléac, and Erez Nevi Pana to the Dutch designer Christien Meindertsma’s <em>Flax Chair </em>(2015), which, as Detton reminds us, references the importance of ‘an industry that was historically established in the region and which takes advantage of waste and reuse.’</p>

<p>A desire to forge links with the local community is a major part of the Frac Grand Large’s overall strategy. That’s why, throughout the year, organizations and schools in Dunkirk and the wider region will be lent a selection of works and design pieces in order to help make the collection accessible to people who would not otherwise necessarily visit the museum. In 2022, on top of the 25,000 visitors they received, 15,000 schools took part in this program. ‘Through these initiatives, young people were recently put in contact with the author and gallerist <a href="https://parisplus.artbasel.com/catalog/gallery/1606/Marcelle-Alix" target="_blank">Isabelle Alfonsi</a>. They asked her very societally- and politically-oriented questions; their creations gave us a new perspective on our collection,’ says Detton. The Frac Grand Large’s acquisition policy thus reflects local concerns. For Detton: ‘It’s in giving locals the feeling that the collection belongs to them that the institution’s public dimension and its primary vocation really come to life.’</p>

<p>‘Chaleur Humaine’<br>2nd edition of the Triennale Arts & Industrie<br>Frac Grand Large — Hauts de France, Dunkirk<br>From June 10, 2023 to January 14, 2024</p>
<p>Henri Robert is a writer based in Paris.</p>
<p>English translation: Catherine Bennett.</p>
<p>Published on June 7, 2023.</p>
<p>Caption for full-bleed images, from top to bottom: 1. Frac Grand Large, 2021. Photograph by Salim Santa Lucia. 2. Installation view at Frac Grand Large. 3. Installation view of exhibition ‘De leur temps (7)’, 2023, Frac Grand Large — Hauts-de-France, Dunkerque. In partnership with ADIAF © Photograph by Aurélien Mole. 4. View from the belvedere of Frac Grand Large.</p>

title_style_2

<section><section><main><div><section></section><section><section><main><div><section></section><section><section><main><div><div>
<p>With seeds, earth, and hair, the Italian artist with a Senegalese background draws on the experience of ignored communities<br></p>



</div> </div><section></section></main></section></section></div><section></section></main></section></section></div><section></section></main></section></section>
<section> <section></section></section>

Stories

Artist Binta Diaw honors the memory of enslaved African women

<section></section>
<section> <section><main><div><div><section></section><section> <section><main><div><div><section></section><section><section><main><div><section></section><section><section><main><div><section></section><section><section><main><div><section></section><section><section><main><div><div><section></section><section><section><main><div><div><section></section><section><section><main><div><div>
<p>We revisit the Ghanaian painter’s cosmic destiny
</p>
<p></p>
<p><br></p>
<p></p>

<br>
</div> </div><section></section></main></section></section></div> </div><section></section></main></section></section></div> </div><section></section></main></section></section></div><section></section></main></section></section></div><section></section></main></section></section></div><section></section></main></section></section></div> </div><section></section></main></section></section></div> </div><section></section></main></section></section>
<section> <section><main><section></section></main></section></section>
<section></section>

Amoako Boafo, the artist who sent his work into space

<section></section>
<section> <section><main><div><div><section></section><section> <section><main><div><div><section></section><section> <section><main><div><section></section><section><section><main><div><div><section></section><section><section><main><div><section></section><section><section><main><div><section></section><section><section><main><div><div><section></section><section><section><main><div><p>With postcards, punk glamour, and pink silk, a legendary New York artist reenacts bohemia<br></p>


</div><section></section></main></section></section></div> </div><section></section></main></section></section></div><section></section></main></section></section></div><section></section></main></section></section></div> </div><section></section></main></section></section></div><section></section></main></section></section></div> </div><section></section></main></section></section></div> </div><section></section></main></section></section>
<section> <section><main><section></section></main></section></section>
<section></section>

Colette Lumiere: ‘Being joyful is completely underrated’

In a town steeped in history, the institution explores environmental upheaval and contemporary art

Welcome,

Discover more related content below: