Fondation pour l'art contemporain Claudine et Jean-Marc Salomon

The Fondation pour l'art contemporain Claudine et Jean-Marc Salomon, also known as the Fondation pour l'art contemporain Salomon or simply Fondation Salomon, is a French contemporary art foundation created in June 2001 by the collectors Claudine and Jean-Marc Salomon. Recognised as being of public utility (reconnue d'utilité publique) in 2001, it was established to open 'a space dedicated to the presentation and dissemination' of contemporary creation, with the aim of giving non-specialist but curious audiences the keys to reading and understanding artworks. Its mission of dissemination and mediation is carried out through an educational, cultural and editorial programme: guided visits, round tables, meetings with artists and the publication of catalogues. From its creation in 2001 until the end of 2013, the foundation was housed in the Château d'Arenthon at Alex, near Annecy in Haute-Savoie. The château, whose written sources date its origins to the 13th century with visible parts remodelled in the 16th century, is one of the earliest examples of Renaissance architecture in Haute-Savoie; restructuring and rehabilitation work allowed exhibition spaces to be created. Its sculpture park, inaugurated with Antony Gormley's installation 'Still Standing' (2000), overlooks the Fier valley beneath the Dent du Cruet and the Dents de Lanfon, and has been enriched each year with new works. The foundation also maintained a tea room and a contemporary art library of more than 1,500 volumes. In January 2014 the foundation moved to La FabriC in Annecy, in order to develop new activities and come closer to audiences: exhibitions, encounters, conferences, artistic trips and awareness-raising for young audiences in contemporary art. It has also exhibited at L'Abbaye – Espace d'art contemporain in Annecy-le-Vieux. Over its history it has welcomed more than 138,000 visitors, including 24,000 school pupils. In 2015 the foundation created an annual prize rewarding an artist from the French-speaking world with a six-month residency in New York. Each year a call for applications is issued, and the laureate of the Salomon Foundation Residency Award receives a grant of 24,000 US dollars and a studio within the ISCP in Brooklyn, New York. The foundation's exhibition programme at the Château d'Arenthon included solo and group shows by artists such as Gilbert & George, George Rousse, Elisa Sighicelli, Jan Fabre, Vera Molnar, Julije Knifer, Jacques Monory, Peter Wüthrich, Philippe Cognée, Damien Cabanes, Samuel Rousseau, Bob Verschueren, Paul Rebeyrolle, Stéphane Couturier, Peter Saul and Marc Desgrandchamps, alongside presentations drawn from the Salomon collection.

The Fondation pour l'art contemporain Claudine et Jean-Marc Salomon was created in June 2001 by Claudine and Jean-Marc Salomon, collectors for several years who decided to commit themselves further to contemporary creation by opening 'a space dedicated to its presentation and dissemination'. The space was intended to offer keys to reading and understanding works to a non-specialist and curious public. This mission of dissemination and mediation of contemporary art is carried out through an educational, cultural and editorial policy: accompaniment to visits, round tables, meetings with artists and the publication of catalogues. The foundation was recognised as being of public utility in 2001. From its creation in 2001 until the end of 2013, the foundation occupied the Château d'Arenthon at Alex, near Annecy in Haute-Savoie. Written sources place the origin of the château in the 13th century; the visible parts result from remodelling carried out in the 16th century, and the building is one of the first examples of Renaissance architecture in Haute-Savoie. A restructuring and rehabilitation of the building allowed the creation of exhibition spaces. At the foot of the Dent du Cruet (1,834 m) and the Dents de Lanfon (1,824 m), the château dominates the Fier valley and offers a panorama over the Parmelan ridges and the Tête à Turpin. The château's park, largely open to this landscape, is conceived as a pleasure garden in which visitors discover its hillsides, slopes and surroundings guided by the works presented. Inaugurated by the installation 'Still Standing' (2000) by Antony Gormley, the park invited new discoveries each year. The foundation also included a tea room and a contemporary art library of more than 1,500 volumes, allowing visitors to consult exhibition catalogues, monographic, thematic or historical works on contemporary art, as well as specialist press. The foundation welcomed more than 138,000 visitors, including 24,000 school pupils. Its exhibition programme at the Château d'Arenthon included: in 2001, 'Gilbert & George'; in 2001–2002, 'Rebuts-Rébus', on the use and recycling by contemporary artists of industrial materials and non-noble matter, curated by François Dagognet; in 2002, 'George Rousse', curated by Alain Sayag, and 'Collection 1. Une sélection d'œuvres de la collection de Claudine et Jean-Marc Salomon'; in 2003, 'Elisa Sighicelli', curated by Eric de Chassey, and 'L'homme qui donne du feu', a retrospective of Jan Fabre's sculptural work curated by Franck Maes; in 2004, 'Vera Molnar - Julije Knifer, Lignes et Méandres', curated by Vincent Baby, and 'Jacques Monory', curated by Philippe Piguet; in 2005, 'Collection 2', curated by Philippe Piguet, and 'Enchanté Château', curated by Christian Bernard and the MAMCO (Geneva), a group exhibition of Swiss artists; in 2006, 'Peter Wüthrich, My World', curated by Laure Genillard, and 'Philippe Cognée, Urbanographies', curated by Philippe Piguet; in 2007, 'Baroquissimo' and 'Peinture Génération 70', curated by Philippe Piguet; in 2008, 'L'Ivresse de l'absolu', curated by Philippe Piguet, and 'Abstraction extension. Une scène romande et ses connexions', curated by Christian Besson, Julien Fronsacq and Samuel Gross; in 2009, 'Sortilège', curated by Anne Malherbe, and 'Damien Cabanes. Corps à corps', curated by Philippe Piguet; in 2010, 'Collection 3. Peinture et dessin dans la collection Claudine et Jean-Marc Salomon' and 'Samuel Rousseau', curated by Philippe Piguet; in 2011, 'Bob Verschueren' and 'Paul Rebeyrolle', curated by Philippe Piguet; in 2012, 'Stéphane Couturier', curated by Philippe Piguet, and 'Peter Saul'; and in 2013, 'Marc Desgrandchamps'. In January 2014 the foundation moved to La FabriC in Annecy to develop new activities and come closer to audiences: exhibitions, encounters, conferences, artistic trips and awareness-raising of young audiences to contemporary art. It also exhibited at L'Abbaye – Espace d'art contemporain in Annecy-le-Vieux, with programmes including, in 2015, the Philippe Piguet collection 'Une passion pour l'art' and 'Sport @ttitudes'; in 2016, 'Performœurs - performer les mœurs', 'Ski, surf and Sun' and 'Espaces intuitifs'; and in 2017, Nicolas Darrot and Thomas T… In 2015 the foundation created an annual prize rewarding an artist of the French-speaking world with a six-month residency in New York. Each year a call for applications is issued, and the laureate of the Salomon Foundation Residency Award receives a grant of 24,000 US dollars and has a studio within the ISCP located in Brooklyn, New York.

• 2015

  Creation of an annual prize awarding a French-speaking artist a six-month residency in New York (Salomon Foundation Residency Award).

• 2014

  In January 2014 the foundation moved to La FabriC in Annecy.

• 2013

  Last year of the foundation's occupancy of the Château d'Arenthon; exhibition 'Marc Desgrandchamps'.

• 2001

  Foundation created in June 2001 by Claudine and Jean-Marc Salomon; recognised as being of public utility.

• 2001

  Foundation installed at the Château d'Arenthon, Alex, near Annecy; first exhibition 'Gilbert & George'.

• 2000

  Sculpture park inaugurated with Antony Gormley's installation 'Still Standing' (2000).

A private, public-utility contemporary art foundation focused on dissemination and mediation of contemporary art to non-specialist audiences, combining exhibitions, a sculpture park, publications and an international residency prize.

• Château d'Arenthon exhibition programme

  Annual exhibition programme at the Château d'Arenthon from 2001 to 2013, including solo and group shows and presentations of the Salomon collection.

• Sculpture park at Château d'Arenthon

  Outdoor sculpture park inaugurated with Antony Gormley's 'Still Standing' (2000), enriched each year with new works.

• La FabriC, Annecy

  New venue from January 2014 for exhibitions, encounters, conferences, artistic trips and youth awareness programmes.

• Salomon Foundation Residency Award

  Annual prize from 2015 awarding a French-speaking artist a six-month residency in New York, a 24,000 USD grant and a studio at ISCP in Brooklyn.

• Contemporary art library

  Library of more than 1,500 volumes of exhibition catalogues, monographic, thematic and historical works on contemporary art.

1. 1Fondation pour l'art contemporain Claudine et Jean-Marc Salomon — Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Fondation pour l'art contemporain Salomon — Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org