Our company started its collection of contemporary art in 1996, convinced that to ensure balanced growth, it was essential to live in an environment that stimulates openness and dialog.
Today, art is an integral part of the Group. In its various forms of expression, it is a privileged source of investigation and an incentive to openness, respect for the values of others, reflection and receptiveness to an ever-changing world.
Mission
Far from having a museum vocation, Proximus Art Collection’s mission is to integrate contemporary art, in its many forms of expression, into the work environment.
In this way, the non-profit association allows Proximus employees to spend their working day surrounded by artworks and thus become acquainted with contemporary art. At the same time, the team in charge of the collection makes every effort to encourage the understanding and interpretation of works which are not always easily accessible or obvious.
Mode of operation
The Proximus Art Collection non-profit association is a legal entity that is completely separate from Proximus. It raises funds mainly from Proximus in order to fulfil its mission as defined by its Board of Directors, to the best of its ability.
This Board approves the strategy and budget and oversees the proper functioning of the association. The Board is made up of the following members:
- Stefaan De Clerck, Chairman, Director
- Baudouin Michiels, Honorary Chairman
- Katrien Depoorter, Director
- Sandrine Dufour, Director
- Miene Gillion, Director
- Dirk Lybaert, Director
- Hans Bart Van Impe, Coordinator
Right from the start, a Purchasing Committee was set up composed of professionals from the art world. It was tasked with making any appropriate purchasing proposals and giving its opinion on opportunities to make certain purchases.
As from 2015, the members of the Purchasing Committee are:
- Chris Dercon, Président Réunion des musées nationaux et du Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées
- Dirk Snauwaert, Director of WIELS, Brussels
- Caroline David, Director of the Institut Français, Izmir, Turkey
- Jaap Guldemond, Director of the EYE, Amsterdam
Purchasing Strategy
The Purchasing Committee selects works of artists who have left or are leaving their mark on the evolution of international contemporary art. They are sometimes represented by several works in order to give a better overview of their defining characteristics and the significance of their contribution.
Since Proximus is a Belgian company, special attention is devoted to Belgian artists who, through the quality of their work, can be integrated in the collection.