Hundreds of masterpieces from the collection of the French FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais have been moved for half  a year to Maastricht for the exhibition “Out of Storage”. With pieces, which never have been showed in the Netherlands, from movements such as Arte Povera, Minimal Art, Conceptual Art, New Realism, Pop Art and  Fluxus the Timmerfabriek offers a shelter  to a transgressing contemporary art project from June 26 2011 until February 12 2012 . With names such as: Andy Warhol, Christian Boltanski andn Maurizio Cattelan.
 
Jack Lang, Minister of Culture in the cabinet of President Mitterand, was convinced that art wasn’t an expensive hobby, but a necessity for the social and economical development of the French regions. In 1982 in 22 French departments the Foundation Regional d’Art Contemporain (FRAC) created a collection containing  international contemporary art for the area.  The collection of FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais is one of the most prominent of France en contains 1.500 pieces. The purpose of this collection is to exhibit it as much as possible. That is why hundreds of these masterpieces are temporarily shown in Maastricht, with work of Pawel Althamer, Superflex, Andy Warhol, Sol LeWitt, Vito Acconci, Christian Boltanski, Hedi Slimane, Atelier van Lieshout, Barbara Visser, Claire Fontaine and Liam Gillick. Most of these pieces have never been shown in the Netherlands.

Out of Storage contains a varied program with an exhibition, educational projects, research, workshops, debating sessions, lectures and performances. The exhibition gives you the opportunity to have a peak backstage of a collecting art institute and it makes functions visible, which normally are not shown.  Different tours are available for visitors to walk through the exhibition, to get an impression of how the FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais proceeds with its work, like  restoration, education, research and presentation.
 
In Out of Storage some pieces of the H+F collection are also shown on a long term loan. The main point in the collection policy of the present director Hilde Teerlinck is socially engaged art, which provokes consideration and develops a critical position.  In prospect of a new accommodation in Duinkerken in 2012 FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais organizes a temporary exhibition, lends artwork, and participates in several projects, like Out of Storage.

Guus Beumer is initiator of Out of Storage en director of Marres, Centre for Contemporary Culture in Maastricht. He is also curator of the Dutch Pavilion during the coming Biënnale of Venice. Hilde Teerlinck is curator van Out of Storage en director of FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais.