AFonds régional d'art contemporain (Frac) is a public regional collection of contemporary art set in one of the metropolitan or overseas regions of France.[1] There are currently 23 Fracs across the country, organised into a national network called Platform since 2005.[2][3] Fracs are funded by regions, by the state through the Ministry of Culture and by municipalities.[3] Originally without venues, Fracs are now hosted in repurposed historical buildings, or in specifically-built art museums, depending on the size of their collection.[4]
Fracs were founded by culture minister Jack Lang, as part of a decentralization policy to move aspects of governance out to regional governments. Starting in 1982, regional funds were set up to promote and encourage contemporary art by forming regional collections, and engaging in outreach to local communities and cultural institutions. For instance, it has often supported the creation of projects following the Protocol of the New patrons in France, developing over sixty artworks commissioned by local inhabitants.
The goals of the Frac program are:
Starting in 2011, the Frac next generation programme set out plans to build new physical museums for several of these collections:[5][4][6]
The 23 Frac collections, as of 2015: