Andy Warhol
Fabrice Hyber
Lorena Zilleruelo
Mathieu Mercier
Gerhard Richter
Anne Collier
Latifa Echakhch
Walead Beshty
Hilde Teerlinck
The opens the doors of its new building to the public. The inaugural exhibition, "The Future begins here" presents a selection of emblematic works by well-known and emerging artists, including Andy Warhol, Fabrice Hyber, Lorena Zilleruelo, Mathieu Mercier, Gerhard Richter, Anne Collier, Latifa Echakhch and Walead Beshty.
Director of the FRAC and Curator of the inaugural exhibition: Hilde Teerlinck
On 16 November 2013, the FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais will open the doors of its new
building to the public. Facing the North Sea on the historic site of the former Chantiers
Navals de France shipbuilding yards in Dunkirk, this building with its bold architecture,
designed by the architects Lacaton & Vassal, will give the FRAC an opportunity to cast
anchor in a key site of Dunkirk’s industrial heritage and enjoy greater visibility throughout
the Nord-Pas de Calais region and the Euro-region.
By choosing to establish FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais in Dunkirk in 1996, the regional
authorities in Nord-Pas de Calais demonstrated their desire to make the region an area
of enriching and amazing artistic and cultural experiences, where local development is
generated by powerful and ambitious cultural activities, as illustrated by Dunkerque 2013
Capitale régionale de la culture.
The inauguration of FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais, which also coincides with the thirty-year
anniversary of the country’s Fonds régionaux d’art contemporain, enables the FRAC and
its partners to pay tribute to the history of the Chantiers Navals de France and to all those
who sustained the shipyards for nearly 90 years. It is an opportunity to strengthen more
than ever before the bond and attachment the city and region have to this site.
By building a translucent twin to the historic Prefabrication Workshop no. 2 (AP2), the
architects Lacaton & Vassal have designed for the FRAC a unique site, funded by the
Communauté urbaine de Dunkerque, the contracting authority for the work, and the Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication, the Région Nord-Pas-de-Calais and the
European Union.
With exactly the same volume, the same dimensions on the ground and the same
height as the AP2, but with a lighter and more contemporary architecture, the new
FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais building will have six levels for exhibitions, work spaces and
meeting areas where everyone is invited to experience an encounter with contemporary
art. This new site, with a total surface area of more than 9,000 sq. m., makes it possible
for the FRAC to welcome the public and to develop its on-site exhibition programme and
outreach activities and to strengthen its off-site activities.
The inaugural exhibition, « Le Futur commence ici » (The Future begins here), plunges
visitors into the FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais collection, presenting a selection of emblematic
works by well-known and emerging artists, including Andy Warhol, Fabrice Hyber, Lorena
Zilleruelo, Mathieu Mercier, Gerhard Richter, Anne Collier, Latifa Echakhch and Walead
Beshty. This opening exhibition will enable the FRAC to lift the veil on all of its new spaces.
Visitors will discover works from its collection and others created especially for the event.
On 16 and 17 November 2013, during an inaugural weekend open to all, the FRAC is
offering a programme of activities that will blend new discoveries, performances, concerts
and workshops to celebrate together the cultural vitality of the Nord-Pas de Calais region
and Dunkirk in particular.
Partners:
• Contracting authority : Communauté urbaine de Dunkerque
• Project manager : Lacaton & Vassal, architects
• Funding : Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication, Région Nord-Pas-de -Calais,
Communauté urbaine de Dunkerque and the European Union (ERDF).
Regional media:
Alice Capon Tel. +33 (0)3 28658420 communication@fracnpdc.fr
National and international media:
Heymann Renoult Associées Communication Sarah Heymann and Adeline Suzanne a.suzanne@heymann-renoult.com
Opening weekend of the FRAC/AP2 : 16.11 > 17.11.13
Inaugural exhibition «Le Futur commence ici» : 16.11.13 > 27.04.14
Frac Fonds régional d’art contemporain du Nord-Pas de Calais
503 Avenue des Bancs de Flandres 59140 Dunkirk France
Hours: Wednesday–Sunday noon–6pm, during school vacations and bank holidays,
closed 25 December and 1 January
Free entrance