Requesting a short-term loan

Overhaul of the CNAP collections : 

All requests (loans and consignments) must be submitted at least 6 months prior to the start of the exhibition or the installation of a new consignment.

Each year, the Centre national des arts plastiques is a partner to over 200 venues (of which a third are abroad), to which it lends some 2,500 works from its collection.

Short-term loans are a procedure through which CNAP works can be made available for temporary exhibitions, in France and abroad. Works can be lent to “public persons or private-law legal persons of a cultural nature or who are organising a cultural event, operating on a non-profit basis”.

The regulatory framework for short-term and long-term loans of the artworks and art objects registered in the inventory of the Fonds national d’art contemporain is set by the Code du Patrimoine (Heritage Code), notably Articles D.113-1 to D. 113-10 and D. 113-24 to D. 113-26. In particular, it specifies the obligations of the borrowers.

Formal request

The short-term loan request must be written and signed on the letterhead of the organisation, stating the name of the administrative officer who will sign the loan agreement.

The letter should include:

• the name of the organisation applying for a short-term loan;
• the name and full address of the exhibition venue;
• the title of the exhibition;
• the start and end dates of the exhibition;
• the project synopsis;
• the list of requested artworks mentioning, if possible, the inventory number;
• the display and security conditions of the exhibition venue (“facility report”), allowing the Loans Commission to examine the conservation conditions;
• the full contact details of the person in charge of the matter;
• the full contact details of the administrative officer who will sign the loan agreement.

The head of the organisation (or its supervisor) should send his/her short-term loan request to Béatrice Salmon, Director of the Centre national des arts plastiques, at least four months prior to the opening date of the exhibition.
You should send a copy to : pretsetdepots[at]cnap.fr   

Any incomplete loan request will delay its examination by the CNAP’s Administrative Department and may cause its review to be deferred to the next commission. Generally, the availability of an artwork should always be ascertained as early as possible. Please check the schedule of the Loans Committee on the CNAP website to ensure you submit your request within the set deadlines.

Obligations of the borrowers

Borrowing an artwork from the CNAP entails a number of commitments ont the part of the borrower:

• meeting deadlines, following instructions for packing, transportation and insurance,
• ensuring the maintenance and conservation of the work for the entire duration of the loan,
• returning the work in good condition,
• reporting a change in the display site or an extension request,
• meeting the standards for preventive conservation,
• handling any necessary intervention/restoration work, handling travel, etc. 

The short-term loan agreement

The agreement permitting the short-term loan of one or more artworks must be signed by the borrower and the CNAP before the works can leave the premises.

Loans abroad require additional administrative formalities (exit permit to leave the country, etc.). It is therefore necessary to anticipate the request by taking into account the approval times the borrower will be subject to (decisions of the board of directors, of the city council, of customs if leaving the country, etc.).

The work's certificate of insurance covering transportation and the duration of the short-term loan must imperatively reach the Administrative Department before the works are to be collected. The carrier will not be allowed to collect the works if the certificate has not been received by the CNAP.

Loan extension

Any request for a loan extension will be subject to consideration by the Loans Committee. It must reach the CNAP a month before the original end date of the exhibition.

If the request is granted, the borrower will receive a letter approving the extension. The borrower must then send the CNAP a certificate of insurance covering the new dates of the exhibition.

Costs associated with short-term loans

The costs of packing, transportation, insurance, framing, video duplication, and supplies related to the implementation and installation of the works, are all covered by the borrower. Restoration costs may be incurred by the borrower, after consultation with the CNAP.

It is therefore important to have prepared a projected budget at the time of your request.

Address

To Béatrice Salmon, Director of the Centre national des arts plastiques
1, place de la Pyramide
Tour Atlantique
92911 Paris-La Défense
France

Contact

Amélie Matray 
Head of the loans and deposits - Assistant to the Head of the Registrar service
Telephone: +33(0)1 46 93 02 59
amelie.matray[at]cnap.fr

Laetitia Dalet
Coordinator - Loans
Telephone: +33(0)1 46 93 05 42
laetitia.dalet[at]cnap.fr

Violaine Daniels
Coordinator - Loans
Telephone: +33 (0)1 46 93 02 53
violaine.daniels[at]cnap.fr

pretsetdepots[at]cnap.fr