Mission
KADIST is a non-profit contemporary art organization that believes artists make an important contribution to a progressive society through their artwork, which often addresses key issues relevant to the present day. Dedicated to exhibiting the work of artists—from more than one hundred countries—represented in its collection, KADIST affirms contemporary art’s role within social discourse, and facilitates new connections across cultures. Its local hubs in Paris and San Francisco organize exhibitions, physical and online programs, and host residencies. KADIST stays apprised of developments in contemporary art via a global advisor network, and develops collaborations internationally, including with leading museums, fostering vibrant conversations about contemporary art and society.
English / Français / Mandarin / Español
KADIST is operated in France by an endowment fund called “AKAT – KADIST” and in the United States by two 501c3 called “Artnow International, Inc” and “KADIST Collection Manager, Inc.”
ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS
GLOBAL NETWORKS
We support a decentralized field of contemporary art through nurturing connections between artists and curators from various nations and cultures. Through our collaborations across five continents, we’ve recognized that some of the most important artistic voices are to be found beyond our own US and European localities. We co-produce exhibitions in cities as diverse as Cairo, Bangkok or Mexico City, through curatorial collaborations in order to responsibly address the complexity of local cultures.
DOUBLE TAKES
KADIST’s collection includes over 800 media artworks, most of which are videos. Over the last 20 years KADIST has developed extensive experience in collecting and presenting video art. With the creation of KADIST.tv in 2022, KADIST deepened its long-running commitment to this artistic medium, which has often been overlooked in conventional collections. KADIST’s ongoing “Double Takes” program of collaborations with art centers celebrates the increasingly important place of film and video in contemporary art. This international program puts moving-image from the collection in dialogue with local contributions from a partner institution, presented as public screenings and exhibitions, and shared on KADIST.tv.
KEY ISSUES
KADIST programs often highlight a key issue, through presenting the voices of artists who respond to the urgent social and political forces of our time. We recognize artists as some of the most inventive and progressively committed thinkers—celebrating difference and personal expression. While some of the work presented at KADIST may have sensitive sexual, political or religious content, artists must have the freedom to address even the most controversial topics.
EXHIBITION EXCHANGE
Since 2013 KADIST has been involved in a variety of institutional collaborations around the world—from Bogotá to New Delhi, from London to Cleveland. Most take the form of exhibitions, and involve curatorial collaborations, pairing one curator from the KADIST network with a curator at a partner institution. In order to work more deeply amid the context of various regional cultures, KADIST has established offices in Mexico and China, each led by a local Associate Director and advised by a lead curator in the region. While the form of collaboration will continue to evolve, the goal of this expanded network is to facilitate cultural exchange, commission new artworks, and develop ongoing relationships in each region.
COLLECTION ARTISTS
The collection serves as a starting point and resource for our programs. The artists are nominated by a world-wide network of advisors, and artworks are selected through a democratic process. This is our primary means of discovering new artists, some of whom are without gallery representation, and the collection provides them initial support. With over 2,200 artworks representing 1,400 artists (growing by ~100 artworks/year), the collection serves as a research aid, identifying a transnational group of artists in the vast landscape of the contemporary artworld.
NOMADIC COLLECTION
In 2023, KADIST launched the “Nomadic Collection” program as the next step in building a distributed and network-driven institution. Every 3 to 5 years, this new form of collaboration makes part of the KADIST collection available, via a multi-year loan, to a leading museum, for exhibition and educational programs. This series is inaugurated with the Centre Pompidou (Paris, France) in 2023 and the Pinacoteca de São Paulo (Brazil) in 2024. With this initiative, KADIST facilitates new connections and exchanges across cultures, ensuring the collection is renewed and relevant for generations to come.
