Le Consortium

Le Consortium is a contemporary art museum in Dijon, located just steps from the city center. The institution was founded in 1977 as a private initiative before taking its current form in 1983, when several local art groups joined forces. After initially showing work in small spaces, the museum moved into a former liqueur factory in 1991. The building stands out for its smooth concrete construction in the International Style, which dispenses with ornament and has a post-Bauhaus character. In 2011, an extension designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban was added to the complex, expanding the exhibition space to roughly 2,000 square meters and providing the setting for the extensive collection of more than 300 works by contemporary artists.

At Le Consortium, you'll see a mix of permanent works from the collection and rotating exhibitions that regularly feature international names such as Yayoi Kusama, Christian Boltanski, and Mark Leckey. The museum sees itself not only as an exhibition venue but also as a co-owner of a film company, and it offers a screening room for its own productions. Since 1991, the institution has worked closely with the Fondation de France to commission artists to create works for public spaces, hospitals, and universities in the Burgundy region and across eastern France. This collaboration has resulted in numerous installations, including sculptures, light pieces, and architectural interventions that shape the look of the city and the region.

The museum's importance extends well beyond the local area, as international recognition underscores. Mark Leckey won the Turner Prize in 2008 for his exhibition shown at Le Consortium, and Pierre Huyghe received a special prize in 2001 for a show curated there for the French Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The museum also serves as an advisor on international projects, such as the revitalization of Doha's old town and a collaboration with the Asian Culture Center in Gwangju. As an independent player in the art world, Le Consortium also publishes books on contemporary art through its own publishing house, Les Presses du Réel.