Étant Donnés Contemporary Art

These grants provide financial support to American and French nonprofit institutions (museums, art centers, etc.) wishing to organize exhibitions featuring living French or France-based artists and American artists, respectively.

The aim is to encourage the international development of American and French contemporary art institutions, to support the French art scene, to introduce American artists to French audiences, and to renew and diversify the possibilities for artistic exchange between France and the United States.

Priority is given to exhibitions, new commissions, or any projects creating new connections or partnerships between institutions, living artists, and curators from both countries.

I. Eligibility 

Artistic Field: Visual Arts

The project must fall within the field of visual arts in its broadest sense (including painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, performance, video, installation, etc.).

Funding areas include solo and collective exhibitions, as well as works commissioned for festivals, biennials, triennials, and permanent installations. In the case of group exhibitions, the jury will pay attention to the importance given to the work and number of pieces of the artist(s) involved in the application.

For American institutions: Artists involved must be French nationals OR have lived in France for more than five years.

For French institutions: Artists involved must be American citizens living AND working in the United States.

The committee will favor creations commissioned for the exhibition, including the presence of the artist, rather than supporting the shipping of previous artworks.

Pre-show travel by the curator to France or to the United States may be included in the project budget, as long as the main part of the grant is allocated to the implementation of the project in the exhibition’s country. Grants may not exceed 50% of the expenses related to the production of the project, with a limit of $30,000 for a solo exhibition or for a commission for a festival, biennial, or triennial, as well as for collective exhibitions including several artists involved, and a limit of $15,000 for one artist involved participating in a collective exhibition.

The publications around the exhibition and education programs are eligible expenses (cf. budget template in the application form)

Etant donnés DOES NOT cover the operating and front of the house expenses of the presenting organization.

II. Required Information

• The SIRET code (France) or the W-9 form (United States) of the institution.
• A completed application form with the required information (including a detailed estimated budget – template attached to the application form).
• A clear description of the project for which the grant is being requested.
• A PDF with a short resume of the artist(s) + portfolio with exhibition stills, video/sound links.
• One image of an artwork or exhibition visual with caption and photo credits, to be used for communication purposes.

These fellowships offer funding to American curators wishing to conduct research on the French visual arts scene. They are intended to expand the opportunities of American curators; to encourage in-depth explorations of French cultural resources; and to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and knowledge among artists, professionals, researchers, and institutions.

Villa Albertine partners for the third time with ICI | Independent Curators International to offer grants of $3,000 each to US-based curators from within ICI’s network and beyond. The grants are intended to contribute to covering the costs of transportation, lodging, per diems, insurance, and any expenses related to the research trip.

Candidates are encouraged to connect with art professionals and other researchers as well as with institutions, universities, art schools, or private and public archives in preparation for future exhibitions or collaborations.

In collaboration with professionals in France, Villa Albertine’s team will also provide its assistance to the selected curators to enhance their networks and direct them towards venues, artists, and directors of institutions that could be of interest for their research.

I. Eligibility

Artistic Field:  Visual Arts

The project must fall within the field of visual arts in the broadest sense (painting, sculpture, drawing, video, photography, performance, installations, etc.).

The candidates must:

• Be U.S. citizens or legal residents of the United States for at least five years.
• Be affiliated with institutions or be freelance curators working in the field of contemporary art. Please note that applications are open to ICI’s network of curatorial alumni, and to any other curators, if their research would significantly benefit from the opportunity.
• Have a minimum of three years of research experience or provide evidence of significant professional practice.
• Have a clearly defined curatorial research project with a French artist, partner organization, or individuals.

There is no age limit to participate.

Priority will be given to curatorial fellows planning to present the results of the research in one way or another in the U.S. via an exhibition, publication, talk, lecture, screening, performance, etc.

Applicants affiliated with institutions must obtain authorization from their institution to travel for the proposed research.

Grant amount for each curatorial fellowship: $3,000

II. Selection Criteria

• The strength of the research objectives and its relevance to the field
• An established need for support
• The feasibility of the proposed research.

III. Required Information

• A PDF document containing a short resume and a letter clearly detailing the research project for which the grant is requested, including specific objectives of the curatorial fellowship, subject, methods, timeline, research goals, and an overview of pre-existing contacts.
• A completed application form including a detailed estimated budget.

2025 grantees

2024 grantees

2023 grantees

2022 grantees

2021 grantees

2020 grantees

2019 grantees

Étant donnés was founded in 1994 by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy —now Villa Albertine— the Association Française d’Action Artistique (AFAA) —now Institut français— and the Délégation aux Arts Plastiques (DAP) of the French Ministry of Culture and Communication. Taking its name from the famous artwork by Marcel Duchamp, the France-born artist who established himself in the United States and whose work has inspired contemporary artists for decades, Étant donnés underscores the continuous exchange between France and the United States in the art world. It also supports the belief, formulated by Duchamp, that “All in all, the creative act is not performed by the artist alone.”

Étant donnés Contemporary Art has supported exhibitions in most major American institutions, including the Guggenheim Museum, the Whitney Museum, the DIA Art Foundation, MoMA PS1, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the MCA in Chicago, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and the Wexner Art Center in Ohio. Support has also been given to numerous projects in alternative spaces, including Artists Space, Artist’s Institute, and Art in General. In previous years, it also provided funding for French organizations such as the Musée National d’Art Moderne Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, Villa Arson in Nice, and several FRACs (Fonds Régional d’Art Contemporain).

Among the French artists first introduced to the U.S. thanks to the support of Étant donnés are Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Pierre Huyghe, Koo Jeong A, Isabelle Cornaro, Christine Rebet, and Céleste Boursier-Mougenot. In France, John Currin, Sterling Ruby, Roe Etheridge, and Diana Thater are just a few of the American artists to have benefited from Étant donnés support for early presentations of their works in solo shows. Some of the numerous curators whose work has been facilitated by the fund are Nicholas Baume, Tim Griffin, Fionn Meade, Lauri Firstenberg, and Silvia Karman Cubina.