The Cnap Supports the Reopening of the LaM with an Exceptional Deposit of 101 Works

On 12 June 2026, the LaM unveils a new presentation of its collection, inspired by the concept of the Museum of Obsessions developed by Harald Szeemann, one of the leading figures in contemporary curatorial thought.

Through this new display, the museum explores the notions of permanence, repetition and creative intensity that underpin artistic practices of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

The presentation brings together the museum's collections of modern art, contemporary art and Art Brut around the idea of obsession, understood as a driving force for creation, an act of resistance and a form of transgression. Organised chronologically, the new display also features monographic sections devoted to major artists such as André Derain, Amedeo Modigliani and Bernard Buffet.

A major deposit from the Cnap

To mark the reopening, the Centre national des arts plastiques (Cnap) is supporting the LaM through an exceptional deposit of 101 works, in addition to the 80 works already entrusted to the museum.

This new group of works strengthens key areas of the LaM's collection while introducing artists who were previously absent from the museum's holdings. Among them are Jean-Marie Appriou, Louise Bourgeois, Mike Kelley, Isabelle Waldberg, and Peter Fischli & David Weiss.

A significant number of these works are featured in the new thematic display, Obsession. Of the 15 galleries opening as part of the museum's reopening, 19 works from the Cnap collection are on view, including an important group of prints by Véronique Filozof.

The deposit also strengthens the representation of women artists within the museum's displays, notably through works by Louise Bourgeois, Véronique Filozof, Ursula, and Isabelle Waldberg.

A long-standing partnership

Since its opening in 1983, the LaM has maintained a close relationship with the Centre national des arts plastiques. Over the decades, several Cnap deposits have made a lasting contribution to enriching the museum's collections.

In 2007, the transfer of ownership of 35 major works, acquired by the Cnap on behalf of the French State and assigned to the Lille European Metropolis, marked a significant milestone in this partnership. The artists represented include Art & Language, Daniel Buren, Gaston Chaissac and Richard Deacon.

Two further significant groups of works joined the LaM's collections in 2012 and 2020, particularly in the field of photography, which had previously been underrepresented in the museum.

A stronger presence in the Obsession display

The second phase of Obsession, opening on 13 June 2026, also includes 11 additional works from the Cnap deposit. These works punctuate the exhibition with pieces by leading figures of the contemporary art scene, including Fischli & Weiss, Mike Kelley and Jonathan Monk.

Through this exceptional deposit, the Cnap continues its commitment to making the national collections accessible throughout France while supporting partner institutions in enhancing their collections and exhibition displays.