Territoire de Belfort (90). The department seems to disinvest the multimedia glunt space. Established in the small town of Bourogne since 1998, this antenna of the departmental media library has gradually specialized in digital arts and has developed a contemporary art center activity. The establishment is a member of the DCA network of sixteen thousand-Contemporary art network in Franche-Comté and Hacnum, national network of hybrid arts and digital cultures. Labeled “Center for Contemporary Art of National Interest” (Cacin) since 2018, the center has been in direct management of the department.
But following the departure of Valérie Perrin, her director from 2007 to 2024, “The department has, to our knowledge, not wish to recruit an artistic direction of the same caliber”regrets Marie Chênel, director of DCA, while the art center had already suffered from the vacancy of the post of public in public for more than a year. Moreover “The money that could complement the budget was not requested by will of the Belfort territory”, explains Pierre Soignon, project manager at sixteen thousand. No funding request has been filed with the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) and the Region for 2025. The intentions of the department seem clear: refocus the multimedia glunt area around the media library and stop the activity of the art center.
“By not recruiting an ad hoc artistic direction to the requirements of the label, the department reorients its structure”estimates Marie Chênel. In the absence of artistic direction and a budget guaranteeing its economic sustainability, the space is strongly risked losing the Cacin label. If it is not already done: it no longer appears on the labeled art centers map of the Ministry of Culture. Also, during the next DCA General Assembly on May 22, “ It will be proposed to the directions of the 58 members of art members to rule on the maintenance or not of the multimedia space Gantner within the network ”announces the director of DCA. In the current state of things, the verdict seems to be run in advance.
The decision of the Territoire de Belfort seems at first glance motivated by budgetary reasons: it had to make cuts in its cultural expenses due to a “Lower endowment of the region”after Pierre Soignon. However, the community also seems to have considered the departure of Valérie Perrin as a pretext to mark a stop at an art center which he only supports lukewarm. Too low attendance? Programming not enough adapted to the territory? The department did not want to decide on the issue.
The department has nevertheless committed to ensuring the distribution of the collection of the Gantner multimedia space, gradually enriched since 2004 and comprising sixty works of digital art.
