01
01 / 10
Edition
2026 — N°01
Reveal
25 May 2026
Artists
0
Location
Paris · FR
An initiative by
Gérard Foundation
An annual selection of ten emerging French contemporary artists. Attention given to what is being built today — quietly, patiently, freely.
I.
The present,
unfolding.
Text
Gérard Foundation
Date
April 2026
There is, in contemporary French creation, a particular moment unlike any other.
It's that moment when an artist has left school without yet finding their place. They sell their first works, but not enough to live calmly off their art. They exhibit in galleries, but remain invisible to major institutions. They know their peers, but not yet the market.
This in-between, this fragile zone, is precisely where the freest creation takes place — the one that hasn't yet learned to conform. It is this zone that the Gérard Foundation Prize for Emerging Art chooses to look at.
We live in a time of visual saturation, where each image chases another, where attention spans are measured in seconds. Faced with this acceleration, a new generation of French artists responds with the opposite gesture: taking time.
The time of matter, of prolonged gaze, of nuance. Slow painting, tactile sculpture, patient photography, installations that demand we stop. Far from the noise, these artists reintroduce a form of attention the era had forgotten.
They also question, each in their own way, the world they have inherited. Climate, identities, memory, bodies. But they do so without manifesto, without distance. Their tone is more porous, more embodied. They don't explain — they make visible.
Official reveal
The ten artists will be revealed on 25 May 2026.
II.
The criteria
of selection.
Editorial reading
Three readings, one shared gaze.
A.
A held medium. A demanding, identifiable practice, already inscribed in a discipline. No scattering.
B.
An emerging market. Gallery representation, documented sales, solo or group exhibitions. The work already circulates.
C.
A singular voice. Something not seen elsewhere. A personal obstinacy that surpasses the fashion of the moment.
III.
The selection,
ten artists.
02
02 / 10
25 . 05 . 26
03
03 / 10
25 . 05 . 26
04
04 / 10
25 . 05 . 26
05
05 / 10
25 . 05 . 26
06
06 / 10
25 . 05 . 26
07
07 / 10
25 . 05 . 26
08
08 / 10
25 . 05 . 26
09
09 / 10
25 . 05 . 26
10
10 / 10
25 . 05 . 26
Each week after the reveal, one artist will be highlighted on Instagram and on this page: portrait, practice, works.
IV.
Calendar
of the edition.
01 / 05
April 2026
Prize announcement
Public launch of the Gérard Foundation Prize for Emerging Art.
02 / 05
25 May 2026
Reveal
Reveal of the ten selected artists on this page and on Instagram.
03 / 05
June–Sept. 2026
Spotlights
One artist featured each week — portrait, practice, works.
04 / 05
October 2026
Editorial review
Publication of the edition's retrospective. Press coverage and catalogue.
05 / 05
April 2027
Edition N°02
Announcement of the second edition. New format, new invited curator.
V.
Rules
and eligibility.
01 — Article
Eligibility conditions
- —French national or resident in France
- —Maximum 40 years old at selection date
- —Documented professional practice (gallery, exhibitions, sales)
- —No direct applications: selection by editorial identification
02 — Article
Foundation commitments
- —A dedicated editorial page on the official site
- —Three curated social media publications
- —Inclusion in the annual printed retrospective
- —Access to the foundation's partner network
03 — Article
Artist commitments
- —Provide HD visuals and a professional portrait
- —Confirm agreement before publication
- —Reshare the foundation's publications on their accounts
- —Mention the selection in their communications during the year
04 — Article
Confidentiality and ownership
- —Works remain the exclusive property of the artist
- —No transfer of rights is required
- —Image use is limited to the Prize framework
- —Withdrawal is possible at any time upon request
VI.
Frequent
questions.
01Can one apply for the Prize?+
The Gérard Foundation Prize for Emerging Art proceeds by editorial identification, in the tradition of discovery prizes (Marcel Duchamp, Bourse Révélations Emerige). The editorial direction identifies artists during the year, through studio visits and field observation. No direct application is open for the 2026 edition.
02What endowment accompanies the selection?+
The 2026 edition is deliberately editorial and does not include a financial endowment. The Prize's value lies in the spotlight, media support and inscription in a lineage of artists supported by the foundation. Future editions will progressively integrate an endowment and an acquisition framework.
03How to suggest an artist to the editorial direction?+
Gallerists, curators, art school teachers, journalists: we are open to all reasoned recommendations. You can write to us at contact@gerardfoundation.org with a brief presentation of the artist's practice and representative visuals. We study each proposal.
04Will the 2027 edition be organized differently?+
Yes. Each edition will evolve the format. The 2027 edition will integrate an invited curator alongside the editorial direction, open a call for applications for part of the selection, and give rise to a public exhibition of the works. The exact nature of the 2027 format will be specified in autumn 2026.
05Is the Prize open to foreign artists living in France?+
Yes. The criterion is residence in France or French nationality. Foreign artists living long-term in France and inscribed in the French scene are eligible.
06How does the foundation finance this initiative?+
The Gérard Foundation is a non-profit organization. The Prize is fully financed by the foundation's own funds and by private patronage. No public subsidy is requested for the 2026 edition.
VII.
Follow,
support, write.
Next edition
2027
Applications for the second edition will open in winter 2026.
ApplyGérard Foundation · Paris
Prize for Emerging Art · Edition N°01 · 2026