COGNAC.- Fondation d’entreprise Martell announces the appointment of Anne-Claire Duprat as Director. She succeeds Nathalie Viot and reports to César Giron, CEO of Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët and President of the Foundation.
Anne-Claire Duprat's mission is to increase the Foundation's global influence by developing a series of innovative initiatives focused on art, design and craft, the foundation’s mission since its beginning in 2016.
Another key focus for the foundation will be to serve as a springboard and catalyst for social change, in particular by fostering research and cross-collaboration on the ecological transition, in line with public and private cultural institutions’ social and environmental responsibilities.
Transdisciplinary, the Martell Foundation's action will be anchored in cooperation of excellence on a national and international scale between recognized professionals and young talents turned towards hybrid and innovative practices. The program will strive to interweave local and global dialogue to create impetus spanning fields and borders, shining a spotlight on key stakeholders in the ecosystem: artists, creators, curators, researchers as well as institutions along with organizations inside and outside the company.
An art historian and specialist in cultural policy, Anne-Claire Duprat boasts 15 years of experience in the contemporary art world. She has expertise in cultural policy and diplomacy, as well as in international cooperation. She holds a 2007 Master’s Degree in Cultural Project Management from Sciences Po Grenoble, along with a dual Bachelor’s Degree in History and Art History. She first worked at a number of institutions, including Palais de Tokyo, Institut Français, FRAC Ile-de-France, Jeu de Paume and Musée de Grenoble. She then went on to become Secretary General of Platform (2014-2017), where she was in charge of promoting the national umbrella organization comprising 23 FRAC regional contemporary art funds and spearheaded the first-ever FRAC national weekend. She worked to promote their collections by organizing major exhibitions outside France, in the Netherlands (VanAbbe Museum - Eindhoven) and Asia (National Museum - Singapore, SongEun ArtSpace - South Korea, BACC - Thailand).
In 2017, Duprat joined the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States, where she directed the strategy for promoting the French arts scene at national level. As the lead for the visual arts in NYC, she oversaw influence initiatives and programs for professional cooperation between the USA and France through resources such as the Etant donnés and Oui Design funds, and also helped lay the groundwork for the opening of Villa Albertine. That position gave her the opportunity to implement projects fostering diversity and innovation, in collaboration with high-level partners for the creation of grants, awards and professional programs.
