The French government agency Centre national des arts plastiques (CNAP), established in 1982 to support living artists and collect their work, has come under scrutiny following two opposing government reports. A July white paper by Martin Bethenod recommended refocusing CNAP's acquisitions on France-based artists and galleries, while a November report from the Cour des Comptes by Julien Aubert found the agency financially fragile and redundant, noting that 24,472 works—one quarter of its collection—have never been exhibited. Aubert recommended closing the CNAP by 2030, sparking backlash from over 1,000 art professionals who signed an open letter criticizing the ideological attack on public cultural service.
This debate matters because it reflects a broader ideological shift in France under the Macron administration and right-wing factions, who question the value of public expenditure on culture. The CNAP, with an annual budget of €18.4 million compared to the Louvre's €300 million, represents a longstanding state commitment to supporting contemporary artists. Critics argue that closing it would harm artists and ignore the institution's historical efficacy, while supporters of the audit see it as a necessary cost-cutting measure. The controversy underscores a fundamental conflict over how the state perceives and values culture in an era of rising private investment and international galleries.