Public support for artistic creation in France is organised through a combination of public commissions, acquisition policies, permanent public collections and sector-specific funding schemes. Rather than relying on a single dedicated artists’ fund, the French model distributes financial support across a network of specialised mechanisms reflecting the diversity of artistic disciplines and the long-standing principle of public responsibility for culture. These instruments complement the broader support programmes presented in Section 7.2.1 (see Section 7.2.1).
Public commissions constitute one of the oldest instruments of French cultural policy. They enable public authorities to commission original works in fields including visual arts, design and architecture while integrating contemporary creation into public space. The best-known mechanism is the “1% for art” (1% artistique) scheme, established by the Decree of 18 May 1951 and now governed by the Code de la commande publique. It requires that approximately one per cent of the construction cost of eligible public buildings be devoted to the commissioning or acquisition of a contemporary artwork specifically created for the site. Initially limited to State buildings, the scheme has progressively been extended to projects undertaken by territorial authorities. According to the Ministry of Culture, it has resulted in the installation of more than 12,500 artworks throughout France since its creation, making it one of Europe’s longest-running public art commissioning programmes (Ministry of Culture, Le 1% artistique, updated 2023).
Public acquisition policies constitute a second pillar of support. The Fonds national d’art contemporain (FNAC), managed by the Centre national des arts plastiques (CNAP), is the French State’s national contemporary art collection and one of its principal instruments for supporting visual creation. Through acquisitions, commissions, loans and conservation activities, it supports living artists while enriching the national collection and promoting the circulation of contemporary works in museums, cultural institutions and exhibitions in France and abroad. According to the CNAP, the FNAC comprised more than 107,000 works in 2024, spanning painting, sculpture, photography, design, graphic arts, decorative arts, video and new media (CNAP, Rapport d’activité 2024). Alongside its acquisition policy, the CNAP also provides direct financial support through grants for artistic research, production, publication, residencies and international mobility (see Section 7.2.1).
Support for contemporary creation is further reinforced by the Regional Funds for Contemporary Art (FRAC), established in 1982 as part of France’s decentralisation policy. Unlike traditional museums, the FRACs are regional public institutions whose mission is to acquire, preserve, exhibit and circulate contemporary artworks while promoting access to contemporary creation through educational activities, cultural mediation and partnerships with schools, cultural venues and local authorities. Today, 23 FRAC operate across metropolitan and overseas France. Together, their collections comprise more than 35,000 works created by more than 6,000 French and international artists, forming one of Europe’s largest decentralised public collections of contemporary art (Platform – Regroupement des FRAC, 2024).
These transversal mechanisms are complemented by dedicated funding schemes in individual cultural sectors. In the audiovisual field, the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC) finances writing, development, production, distribution and exhibition through a combination of automatic and selective support mechanisms (see chapter 4.2). The Centre national du livre (CNL) provides creation grants, residency support and mobility schemes for authors, translators, publishers and independent bookshops, while the Centre national de la musique (CNM) supports music creation, recording, live performance, international development and professional training through dedicated financial assistance programmes. Together, these sector-specific funds ensure that public support is adapted to the artistic, economic and professional characteristics of each cultural field.
Overall, the French system of artist support is distinguished by the articulation of public commissions, acquisition policies, decentralised public collections and specialised sectoral funding mechanisms. Rather than concentrating support within a single funding instrument, it combines complementary mechanisms operating at national and territorial levels throughout the different stages of artistic creation, production and dissemination. This diversified architecture reflects the broader objectives of French cultural policy: sustaining artistic freedom and creation, enriching public collections, promoting cultural diversity and ensuring that contemporary works remain accessible to audiences throughout the country.
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