Le Consortium

Profile

The contemporary art center the Consortium, run by the association Le Coin du Miroir, was set up in 1977. In 1982 it obtained the Art Center label.
Its aims are the production and the exhibition of contemporary works, the enrichment of public heritage, and the promotion, the distribution and education as regards the arts and the ideas of today.
Another purpose of the Consortium is experimentation and reflection on the field of cultural engineering, and to manage cultural and artistic projects regarding new art forms.

The roots of the Consortium are found in the voluntary sector when, during the 70's, in the heart of cities, a lot of people came to create alternative models of organization dedicated to independence, difference and freedom of expression. In 1977, Xavier Douroux and Franck Gautherot, among others, founded the non-profit organization Le Coin Du Miroir in Dijon.
In 1983, with Eric Colliard (died in 1995), a new entity resulted from the grouping of the non-profit organizations Le Coin Du Miroir, Déjà Vu and A La Limite.
They initiated serious reflection on the significance of art, starting the promotion of dissenting artists mostly concerned with language and the very way to make art, like Buren, Mosset, Toroni, Rutault, Boltanski, Messager, Le Gac, Baldessari, Luthi and so on.
First located in 30 square metres on the first floor of an alternative bookshop, the organization moved to a gallery-flat rue Saumaise, before finally relocating in 1982 into a 600 square metres old store in the city center. In 1991, the Consortium also took possesion of an old factory in the close outskirts.
In 1996, Eric Troncy joined the art center as co-director. In 2000, Seungduk Kim became associate curator and director for international projects and development in Asia.
In 2008, the Art Center opened a shop which sells multiples, ouside the exhibition space 16 rue Quentin.