Art Talk – Private Photography Collections: the challenges of curation, conservation, public engagement and support to the artists ?

Location: Art Talk Area, Luxembourg Art Week

Language: French

Guest Speakers:

Fannie Escoulen, Independent Curator specialising in contemporary photography

Paul di Felice, .Co-founder and Vice-President of Lët’z’Arles

Caroline Stein, Head of Corporate Philanthropy & Curator of the Corporate Collection at Banque Neuflize OBC

Moderated by: Cécilia Zunt-Radot, Director of Lët'z Arles

Since the late 1990s, certain companies and private initiatives have turned their attention to photography and images as the exclusive medium for building their art collections. Various approaches to acquisitions, support for artists through awards, and thematic focuses have been established within these different organizations, thereby helping to promote contemporary photography. Once the works have been acquired, how can a meaningful connection be established with diverse audiences (employees, clients, visitors)? How can the collection be kept current and its presentation brought to life? How can a relationship between the collection and the artists be maintained beyond the acquired works? To address these questions, here are three examples of dynamic and committed corporate collections: Arendt (Luxembourg), Neuflize OBC (France) and FNAC (France). 

Biographies

Fannie Escoulen has devoted her professional career to photography for the past twenty-five years. After serving as head of exhibitions at the Mediterranean Center for Photography in Corsica, she went on to work at photography agencies, including Métis and Magnum Photos. In 2007, she co-founded LE BAL in Paris, which she co-directed until 2014. She then continued her work as an exhibition curator before being appointed head of the Department of Photography at the Ministry of Culture from 2021 to 2024. Since 2025, she has been focusing on exhibition and publishing projects, while also working as a photography consultant.

Paul di Felice lives between Luxembourg and Venice. He holds a PhD in the arts and has taught art history at the University of Luxembourg. Since the 1970s, he has been active as an artist, art critic and exhibition curator. He is co-founder and co-director of Café Crème asbl, co-founder of MAI photographie & art contemporain, and a founding member of the editorial board of lacritique.org. He is curator of the Arendt art collection and a member of the board of directors of the IACCCA. He served as vice-chair of the board of directors of MUDAM. Deeply involved in the development of European cultural networks, he is president of the European Month of Photography network and co-director of EMOP Luxembourg. He is also co-founder and president of the ‘Art as Experience’ association in Luxembourg. Furthermore, he is co-founder and vice-president of the Lët’z’Arles association (LUPA - Luxembourg Photography Prize) and a member of AICA Luxembourg.

Cécilia Zunt-Radot began her career at two Parisian museums, first at the Palais Galliera and then at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. In charge of exhibition production, she collaborated with numerous art world professionals and museum institutions. In 2013, she joined the Centre Pompidou-Metz, where she coordinated the realisation of international projects and became head of patronage and public relations. Director of Lët'z Arles since 2020, she supports artists in the realisation of their projects and coordinates all activities relating to the exhibitions, residencies and publications produced each year by the association.

Caroline Stein holds a degree in modern literature from the University of Western Brittany and a postgraduate diploma (DESS) in Culture & Communication with a focus on publishing from the University of Paris Villetaneuse. She began her professional career in 2003 at Somogy Publishing as an art book editor before joining the Tendance Floue photography collective in 2007. As the director of cultural projects and partnerships, she develops their exhibition programs, touring exhibitions, and artist-in-residence projects. In this role, she has organized numerous cultural initiatives and established innovative partnerships in France and internationally with institutions, festivals, local governments, and art centers. In 2012, she joined Central Dupon Images, a studio specializing in professional photography, to strengthen cultural collaborations with a wide range of institutional partners. She combines these commercial responsibilities with consulting work for photographers and curators. In 2017, Caroline Stein joined Banque Neuflize OBC as Head of Corporate Philanthropy and Curator of the Corporate Collection.