The New patrons, in French Nouveaux commanditaires, are a series of art projects since the 1990s following a protocol that was drawn up by Belgian artist François Hers. The terms "Nouveaux commanditaires" or "New patrons" refer equally to the protocol that was established in 1990,^[1] the subsequent cultural policy movement, and to the resulting artworks, as well as to the multiple mediation organisations responsible for overseeing the art projects around the world. New patrons are the individuals who initiate the commissioning of a said artistic project.^[2]

The protocol followed by the New patrons dictates the basic stages in the construction of an artistic project that is intended to be democratic and whose origin is a commission from citizens, residents, employees or any other group of people with a motivated interest in the development of a work of art.^[3]

The initiative was established in France, under the impetus of the Fondation de France, from 1990 to 2022. It was established in Belgium in 2000, and later in Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and a dozen other countries. Through several hundred projects,^[4] it has involved many leading figures in contemporary art, such as Daniel Buren, Luciano Fabro, Christian Boltanski, Harun Farocki, Angela Bulloch, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Wim Delvoye, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Erwin Wurm, as well as personalities from the worlds of architecture, music and design. The Protocol has also inspired sociologists, philosophers and art historians, and has been the subject of sustained research, most notably by Bruno Latour, Vinciane Despret, Laurence Bertrand-Dorléac, Joseph L. Koerner, Jean-Michel Frodon.

As early as 1963, conceptual artist François Hers proposed an approach to art that went beyond museums,^[5] drawing inspiration from the ideas of the Dada movement, to establish new relationships between society, artists and their work. Hers' work reflects this innovative ambition, often being described as "wild".^[6] Asked by Fondation de France's president Bernard Latarjet to establish a new cultural approach in 1990, Hers brought forward a mode of action based on a call for art emanating from society itself.^[7] This led to the creation of the Protocole des Nouveaux commanditaires in 1991, encouraging collaboration between citizens and artists.^[8]

The protocol introduced by Hers involves a network of art world mediators, in essence curators, to facilitate collaboration between patrons and artists.^[9] It also revives the collaborative and experimental essence in the conceptual works of John Cage, Fluxus or George Brecht, and the concept of shared creation with the audience found in conceptual art.^[10] This approach dismantles traditional power structures and redefines direct interactions with artists while intermediaries like galleries and curators remain to facilitate social connections. The audience gains independence and agency. Central to this dynamic is the artwork, which serves as a pivotal meeting point, fostering participation.^[10]

Hers published the first text of the protocol in 2001,^[11] followed in 2012 by a joint publication with Xavier Douroux: Art without Capitalism.^[12] Two more books, in particular, would later enrich the record of the New patrons action. In 2013, under the supervision of a committee chaired by Bruno Latour, Faire art comme on fait société offers a collection of 47 contributions from a wide range of disciplinary fields.^[13] In 2017, an English edition, Reclaiming Art - Reshaping Democracy,^[14] similarly privileges anglophones points of view: both publications base themselves on the case study of existing projects to theorise the emergence of publicly commissioned art.

The first artistic projects to emerge from the Nouveaux commanditaires program occurred in Burgundy in 1991. Xavier Douroux, director of Dijon's Le Consortium, started as the mediator between patrons and the artist.^[15]

The protocol then spread outside France, first to Belgium in 2000. The program was introduced in Germany at the end of the 2000s, under the impulse of Sigrid Pawelke.^[16]

From 2002 onwards, the mediators from the various European countries taking part in the program came together under the umbrella of the Société internationale des Nouveaux commanditaires, or International Society of the New Patrons.

In 2017, Hers proposes to broaden the appeal to philosophy and humanities research to address contemporary cultural and social issues,^[17] in a project called Nouveaux commanditaires – Sciences, supported by the Fondation de France and other institutions.

In 2022, the Fondation de France, which had until then coordinated and accredited the various mediating structures in France,^[18] as well as covered the funding in France and sometimes abroad,^[19] announced its withdrawal from the New patrons project, handing over to the French Ministry of Culture.^[20] A new French non-profit, the Société des Nouveaux commanditaires en arts et sciences was founded as an umbrella organisation, supported by the Fondation de France and the Ministry of Culture.^[21]

In his Letter to a friend, François Hers suggests the emergence of a new chapter in the history of art, that of an art of Democracy succeeding the era of modern art.^[22] He sees in current conditions the potential for writing this new chapter, based on the achievements of modernity that began in the Renaissance and extended through to the 1960s.

During this long period, artists played a crucial role in shaping individuality and liberating forms of expression, contributing to the emancipation of ways of perceiving the world. Hers points out that these advances led to the invention of democracy and the development of science and technology.^[22]

The Protocol of the New patrons calls for artistic creation no longer to be confined to artists or a few high powers, but to emanate from society itself, through an active dialogue with its artists.^[23] This democratization of art is made possible by the freeing of the artistic form, that artists have established through time, enabling them to address a multitude of contemporary cultural issues.

The Protocol clarifies the roles and responsibilities of each party: citizens (the New patrons) are responsible for formulating the rationale of art by placing commissions; artists for creating works answering these requests; politicians and patrons for supporting the initiatives; and philosophers and researchers for providing an informed analysis of the issues at stake.^[24]

At the end of 2010, this initial protocol for artistic creation was joined by a special protocol for the Nouveaux commanditaires – Sciences program.^[25]

The Protocol of the New patrons, initially developed for artistic creation, was extended to scientific research in 2013.^[26] A new Protocol^[25] invites citizens to become the partrons of scientific projects, enabling them to play an active part in research and development. In the very same way as for artistic projects, patron citizens express their needs, concerns or interests, and scientists work with them to respond to these requests. This approach aims to foster civic engagement, encourage dialogue between scientists and local communities, and ensure that scientific research meets the needs and values of society. By extending the New patrons' protocol to scientific creation, it becomes an important model for participatory democracy in science.

Half a thousand artists from all disciplines – sculptors, painters, visual artists, video artists, designers, architects, composers, writers and illustrators –^{[27][circular reference]} from every continent have accepted commissions for one or more artistic projects from New patrons.^[4]

Non-exhaustive list, in alphabetical order, of artists or collectives who have produced at least one work as part of the Protocol of the New patrons:^[28]

Given its associative, collaborative, even democratic process – the initiative to commission a work of art can come from anyone, and is deemed original and innovative, standing out from the usual mechanisms of the art world – the Protocol of the New patrons and the -projects since the 1990s have been the subject of studies and publications by a large number of academics in a relatively wide range of disciplines; for example Meyer Schapiro^[29] and Martin Warnke in art history; Bruno Latour, Heinz Wismann and Krzysztof Pomian^[30] in philosophy; as well as philosophers of science Vinciane Despret^[31] and Isabelle Stengers^[32] or economist Frédéric Lordon.^[33]

The Salle des Départs is a major artwork by Italian artist Ettore Spalletti,^[34] developed in collaboration with Guido Fanti. It was installed in 1996 at the Raymond Poincaré Hospital in Garches (Hauts-de-Seine, France).^[35] The project originated with Dr. François Paraire and Prof. Michel Durigon, physicians in the pathological anatomy department at Garches hospital, who were considering the need to renovate the morgue's departure room, where relatives say goodbye to their loved ones.^[36]

In 1993, the doctors turned to the Fondation de France. Spalletti's work is characterized by a total environment, imbued with variations of symbolic blues evoking the celestial and eternal. Elements of black and white marble, sourced from Carrara in Italy, punctuate this space of contemplation, providing a dignified setting for bereaved families.^[37]

In addition to the soothing hues of blue, two musical compositions were commissioned from David Lang and Robin Rimbaud to play in the background: Departure & Channel of Flight.^[38]

The Salle des Départs aims to respond to the question of death, both in hospital and in society, by redefining the clinical space of a mortuary and turning it into a living, public space.^[39]

L'œuvre est menacée par la fermeture annoncée de l'hôpital de Garches en 2024,. Le devenir de La Salle des Départs suscite une mobilisation de la part des autorités et de la communauté artistique pour sa préservation et sa réinstallation dans un nouvel établissement hospitalier.^[40]

The work is threatened by the announced closure of the Garches hospital in 2024.^[41] The future of La Salle des Départs has prompted the authorities and the artistic community to call for its preservation and reinstallation in a new hospital.^[40]

The Colonna di Genk, or Pillar of Genk,^[42] erected in Genk (Limburg, Belgium),^[43] is the last work by Italian artist Luciano Fabro, who died in 2007.^[42] As a columnar structure, it embodies the mining heritage of Belgian Limburg, while celebrating the union between local communities and Italy.^[44] Commissioned by the municipality of Genk in 2005, the sculpture symbolises the resilience of the local people in the face of the challenges of the mining past, social difficulties of Italian immigrants and economic difficulties following the mines' closure. Made of Carrara marble from Italy, the Doric column evokes the deep connection between Genk and the Italian mining communities that contributed to the region's economic boom.^[45]

Inaugurated on 1 May 2008, ten months after Fabro's death, the Colonna di Genk remains as a testimony to the artist's commitment to social unity. It embodies Genk's motto, "Samen sterk" ("Strong together"), perpetuating a message of unity and solidarity.

Les Bogues du Blat is a set of social housing designed by architect Patrick Bouchain in Beaumont, in Ardèche (France).^[46] Initiated by the municipality to fight against the rural flight,^[47] this project includes wooden frame houses inspired by chestnut frames and thus evoking local heritage.^[48]

Closely involving residents, future residents, and elected officials, the project embodies a participatory and sustainable approach to architecture.^[49] The constructions started in 2012 and favor environmentally friendly materials and a community lifestyle, linked to the Monts d'Ardèche regional natural park.^[50]

Located in the town of Trébédan, Brittany (France), the École le Blé en herbe was designed by Matali Crasset.^[51] As a new primary school, it is the result of a collaboration between the municipality, residents and local educational authorities.^[52] The process of creating the school began in 2007, when the community of Trébédan decided to rethink its educational establishment, which had become dilapidated and unsuitable for modern needs.^[53] Teachers, parents and local elected officials sought to revitalize the village and offer children stimulating learning environments.^[54]

Matali Crasset sees the school as a work of art in its own right.^[52] As such, every aspect of the building, from the architecture to the furniture, is designed to promote autonomy, creativity and development of pupils, as the bright colors and many shared spaces demonstrate.^[55]

Between 1991 and 2022, the Fondation de France oversees (and funds) the development of New patrons projects. In France, the Fondation de France recognises a series of organisations and individuals as "accredited mediators", responsible for mediating New patrons projects in a certain region or, in some cases, for a certain artistic discipline. These include Le Consortium in Burgundy or Les Abattoirs in Occitania. The Fondation de France also coordinates the artistic projects surrounding the extension of tramway 3b in northern Paris.^[56] Since 2020, the mediator associations have become independent from the Fondation de France, and their accreditation is now under the responsibility of the newly created Société des Nouveaux commanditaires en arts et sciences, a non-profit association founded in Lille.

Mediators are generally art curators with in-depth knowledge of the art world and their local area.^[57]

Outside France, mediation structures are established by national organisations. Internationally, they are grouped under the International Society of the New Patrons (Société internationale des Nouveaux commanditaires, SiNc), founded in Dijon in 2002, and established as an international non-profit association in Brussels in 2023.

As of 2024, SiNc includes the following members:

Funding is most often provided by the Fondation de France and the foundations it houses (particularly the Fondation Carasso), as well as public contributions: in France, from the Ministry of Culture and regional FRAC contemporary art funds), in Dutch-speaking Belgium from the Flemish Community, in Germany from the Kulturstiftung des Bundes. The budget sometimes comes from the 1 percent for art rule.

“Nouveaux commanditaires" is a registered trademark by the International Society of New Patrons in the Benelux^[62] and by the Fondation de France in France.^[63]

The term was translated to other languages, in some cases inventing new a new word to symbolise the "patron", in other cases using an already well established expression:^[64]

• Nuovi committenti in Italian;
• Nuevos comanditarios in Spanish;
• Nieuwe opdrachtgevers in Dutch;
• Neue Auftraggeber in German;
• Komanditario berriak in Basque;
• Taiteen Uudet Tukijat in Finnish

In its international communication, the International Society of New Patrons uses the English term "New Patrons".

Two academic programs focus on the New patrons and the mediation process in contemporary art. Both are in France.

In 2010, inspired by the Protocol of the New Patrons, Bruno Latour founded a programme in political arts at Sciences Po Paris, called SPEAP^[65] (Sciences Po Expérimentation Arts Politiques, or later Sciences Po École des Arts Politiques).^[66] Under Latour's leadership, the program evolved into the Master of Experimentation in Arts and Politics, which later became the 1-year Master in Political Arts at Science Po's School of Public Affairs.^[67] In 2023, the SPEAP programme joined the newly created Maison des Arts et de la Création.^[68] SPEAP is both focused on artists and academics, aiming at experimentation, but also trains in curation and artistic mediation in a context specific to the creation of public art under the aegis of public or political authorities.^[69]

In 2020, the University of Lille launched the University Diploma "Building art as building society — Mediation-production in the contemporary arts" in collaboration with the French Society of the New Patrons in Arts and Sciences.^[70] The programme was later included to the Master of Arts programme in Exhibition and production of contemporary works of art.^[71]

• Vinciane Despret, Les Morts à l'œuvre, Paris: La Découverte, 2023.^[72]
• Émilie Hache, Frédéric Lordon, et al., Reclaiming Art / Reshaping Democracy – The New Patrons & Participatory Art, Dijon: Les presses du réel, 2017.^[73]
• François Hers, The protocol, Dijon: Les presses du réel, 2002.^[74]
• François Hers, Xavier Douroux, Art without Capitalism, Dijon: Les presses du réel, 2013.^[75]
• François Hers, Letter to a Friend about the New patrons, translated by Emmelene Landon, Dijon: Les presses du réel, 2016.^[76]
• François Hers, Operation Nouveaux commanditaires, Dijon: Les presses du réel, 2023.^[77]