Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Shop-CNAC, originally named Le Magasin, a national centre for contemporary art, was inaugurated on 26 April 1986 by François Léotard, Minister of Culture, as part of François Mitterrand's Great Works. Installed in an industrial hall of 3,000 m2 designed by Gustave Eiffel for the Universal Exhibition of 1900 in Paris, then dismantled and rebuilt in Grenoble at the beginning of the 20th century, the place served first as a boiler factory for the hydroelectric industry. His conversion to contemporary art, led by architect Patrick Bouchain, preserved his original architecture while adapting to temporary exhibitions renewed quarterly.

The Shop is inspired by the German Kunsthallen model, focusing on collaboration with artists for in situ creations rather than the creation of a permanent collection. His name, inspired by the inscription "Magistre" on the façade, was chosen by its founding director Jacques Guillot and graphic designer Bernard Baisset, with a blue logo created by Minium. In 1986, artists such as Daniel Buren and Anish Kapoor made works adapted to space. The centre became a symbol of cultural decentralization, without acquiring works but with emphasis on research and experimentation.

In 2006, the building was renovated to replace its old roof, and in 2014, the Shop was the first French art centre to receive financial assistance through an auction of works donated by artists. Between 2016 and 2022, under the direction of Béatrice Josse, he was renamed Shop of Horizons and oriented towards feminist and postcolonial themes, causing controversy. In 2025 he obtained the label "Centre d'art contemporain d'intégration nationale", becoming the third in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

The place is also known for its school, founded in 1987 as School of Shops, became in 2016 the Workshops of Horizons, training professionals in curation and artistic practice. Its history reflects tensions between cultural innovation, municipal management and public expectations, marked by internal conflicts and change of direction. Today, the Shop remains a key player in contemporary art in France, served by the Grenoblais tramway and anchored in the Bouchayer-Viallet district.

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