Looking towards Europe and beyond: The ‘Fondation de la Société Internationale des Nouveaux Commanditaires’ (Foundation of the International Society of New Commanditaires) is born’

The founding countries of this network are Belgium, Cameroon, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. An alliance that will promote a citizen-driven form of artistic creation.

Art as a citizen commission has become a broad, solid, ever-growing movement that, since 1990, has brought together diverse voices, rich visions, commissioned artworks, formats and participatory processes that seek to broaden forms of democracy and generate citizen agency.

With this reality as a framework and horizon, seven organisations representing nearly one hundred mediators of the ‘Nouveaux Commanditaires’ network have joined forces, ideas and enthusiasm to found the 'Nouveaux Commanditaires' network. ‘Société Internationale des Nouveaux Commanditaires’.’ - the ‘International Society for New Patterns’.

This international network thus takes a step forward and faces new challenges to consolidate its commitment, experience and knowledge to strengthen an art model in which citizens commission and commission artworks that respond to social issues.

The founding countries are Belgium, Cameroon, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. The association will be headed by Alexander Koch, member of the Gesellschaft für Kunst und Mediation im Bürgerauftrag.

Among the activities of the recently formed ‘Société Internationale des Nouveaux Commanditaires’ is the management of the copyright of the New Patrons protocol, a protocol created by the artist François Hers in 1990 and on which is based the methodology that guides the participatory processes of mediation that result in works of art that respond to social challenges. In addition, initiatives around the world that want to apply the protocol in their local contexts and, as these countries have been doing for more than 30 years, are based on the idea that art is commissioned by citizens, will be advised.

It will also combine interests and actions that will be in perpetual motion within the communities it works with, fostering a public and accessible international network.