Acquisitions Committee

Les Abattoirs are distinguished by their hybrid nature, which is embodied first and foremost by the dialogue between three collections: the museum collection, the FRAC collection and the Daniel Cordier collection (on loan from the MNAM/CCI – Centre Pompidou).

For the FRAC, the expansion of a collection that already comprises more than 1,400 works is overseen by a Technical Acquisitions Committee.

This committee meets once a year to review all unsolicited submissions, whilst also proposing a number of acquisitions.

Selection criteria

Les Abattoirs’ acquisition policy is rooted in a complex history of its collections, whose diversity makes it an ideal setting for the flourishing of a variety of narratives, reflecting the diversity of our contemporary societies. Rooted in this heritage, Les Abattoirs’ Artistic and Cultural Project for 2025–2030 aims to chart a non-linear and multifaceted history of art, attuned to contemporary issues.

New works to be added to the collections are therefore selected on the basis of the following criteria:

• To support emerging artists, particularly in the Occitanie region, in line with the core mission of the FRACs.
• To strengthen the presence of artists from the Ibero-American scene – already a prominent feature of the collections – by opening up more broadly to artists from the northern Mediterranean, notably those bridging the Maghreb and the Occitanie region.
• To continue embracing a diversity of artistic scenes in order to enrich the periods or movements represented in the collections, thereby providing a broader perspective on art history and reflecting the contemporary art scene.
• Embrace a wider variety of media and interdisciplinary approaches, enabling a broader understanding of creative practice and offering a resonance, in particular, with the collection of the collector Daniel Cordier (on loan from the MNAM) as well as with contemporary reinterpretations of art history, for example by focusing on so-called craft practices (ceramics, textiles, basketry, etc.).
• To consider the collections in terms of their nomadic nature, selecting works that align with the FRAC’s remit through their mobility and ease of exhibition: priority is given to enriching the collection of graphic arts (multiples) and to the acquisition of works under specific protocols.
• To work towards greater representation of women artists, in order to outline an alternative history of art that moves beyond a predominantly male canon.
• To continue building coherent bodies of work, by strengthening the presence of certain artists whose works are currently isolated and/or under-represented. This approach also aims to support artists already represented in the collections.

Attention is also paid to the dialogue that may emerge between the works in the FRAC collection and those in the museum’s collection, with a view to developing points of convergence around shared themes, within a dialogue between modern and contemporary art.

Finally, consideration is given to the ability to meet basic preventive conservation requirements, particularly regarding the works’ adaptability to various exhibition venues as part of the collection’s dissemination.

How the Technical Acquisition Committee operates

The Technical Acquisition Committee is chaired by the director of Les Abattoirs – Frac Occitanie Toulouse. It is composed of contemporary art professionals appointed for three years by the Les Abattoirs Trade Union Committee (a decision-making body), on the recommendation of the director.

The committee first reviews all the unsolicited proposals received, before putting forward a number of additional acquisition proposals and drawing up a final selection.

The shortlist of selected works is then submitted to the Trade Union Committee for approval.

Members of the Technical Acquisition Committee (since 2024)

Voting members

• Thomas Delamarre, director of the Maison des Arts Claude et Georges Pompidou in Cajarc
• Lauriane Gricourt, director of Les Abattoirs, Musée-FRAC Occitanie Toulouse
• Anne-Laure Lestage, independent curator
• Pascal Lièvre, artist
• Diana Wechsler, art historian, Vice-Rector of the National University of Tres de Febrero (UNTREF) in Buenos Aires and Artistic Director of MUNTREF, the Museum and Art Centre of the National University of Tres de Febrero. Founder and artistic director of BIENALSUR, the International Biennial of Contemporary Art of South America.

External figures (advisory roles)

• Marie-Béatrice Angelé, visual arts adviser at the DRAC Occitanie Toulouse
• Cendrine Krempp, contemporary art project manager, Occitanie Region
• Eric Mangion, Director of the Frac Occitanie Montpellier
• Clément Nouet, Director of the Occitanie Regional Museum of Contemporary Art (Sérignan)

Observers from the Abattoirs team

• Tatiana Rybaltchenko, Curator
• Emmanuelle Hamon, Head of Artistic Projects for the Occitanie Region
• Guillaume Blanc, Archivist and Acquisitions Officer
• Bernadette Morales, Archivist
• Valérie Alingrin, Collections Officer

Submission guidelines

Please send your acquisition proposal(s) to the following email address: documentation@lesabattoirs.org.

In order to be considered by the committee, proposals must comply with the following requirements:

• A maximum of three works per artist,
• As the budget is limited, each proposal must not exceed a cost of 15,000 euros,
• Given storage and display constraints: no monumental works.

Acquisition proposals must be compiled into a single PDF document (between 10 and 12 MB max.) containing all the following elements:

• Acquisition proposal form(s) (downloadable below),
• Text(s) presenting the work,
• Presentation protocol or detailed technical specification where applicable,
• Condition report for the work (if available),
• Images of the work or a video link (Vimeo or other platform),
• The artist’s CV and portfolio (maximum 15 pages),
• A text presenting the artist’s overall artistic approach.

Applications from artists whose works have been acquired by the Frac within the last three years will not be considered.

Timetable

The deadline for submitting applications for open calls is 31 December 2026.

The next Technical Acquisition Committee meeting will take place in May 2027.

Feedback will be provided by email or telephone following the Technical Acquisition Committee meeting.

Download the acquisition proposal form