Icade has developed a policy aimed at promoting contemporary art—a societal commitment to ensure that the city of the future remains a place where culture, artistic expression and diversity can thrive. Our efforts in this regard have a dual focus, namely to integrate artwork into our real estate developments and make our properties available to support emerging artists.
At Icade, we believe that the presence of art in an urban context is more than just aesthetic—it is also a source of well-being for its residents and a way for cities and regions to increase their appeal. So choosing to associate ourselves with “1 building, 1 work” was a natural decision to make as it brings together property developers and artists to make cities more liveable.
Emmanuelle Baboulin
Executive Committee member in charge of the Commercial Property Investment Division
Icade is a signatory of the “1 building, 1 work” charter under the aegis of the French Ministry of Culture. Its objective? To showcase art by introducing works into residential and office buildings. To achieve this objective, Icade has commissioned mostly local artists to create artwork that adds uniqueness to its projects both in the Paris region and in other major French cities.
“Pluie de Porcelaine” by Jeanne Wilkins Searle – Eqho Tower, La Défense
Piece by Farid Achezegag, a sculptor from Toulouse – Domaine des Cantatrices, Toulouse
One of the three cows by sculptor Rachid Khimoune – Portes de Paris Business Park
Icade’s commitment to contemporary art is also first and foremost a way to support emerging artists.
In 2017, Icade launched its first artist residency at the Icade Store in Aubervilliers. This move is designed to make up for the lack of creative spaces in the Paris region. For seven months, four artists were able to benefit free of charge from an environment conducive to creation on urban planning and environmental themes.
A video of the artist residency at the Icade Store in Aubervilliers (french only):
In 2018, Icade went a step further by launching its “Art&Design Lab by Icade”, a multi-disciplinary residence welcoming artists, designers and architects interested in becoming involved in research on the future of regions. Participants have been able to develop their own projects and contribute to research conducted by Icade on urban issues.
Interview with Eric Brosseron, an “Art&Design Lab” participant who designed “La Pasglissade” (french only):
