Between 1981 and 1983 the Fonds régionaux d'art contemporain (FRAC) were created in each region of France. These structures are jointly funded by the French state and their respective regions. In 1982 the FRAC des Pays de la Loire came into being. It aimed to create an international collection, organise exhibitions throughout the region and to increase public awareness of contemporary art.

The FRAC des Pays de la Loire was, in 2000, the first to be housed in a dedicated building specifically for managing its collection and developing it activities.

This publication documents the exhibitions and the works produced in this specific architectural environment, while interrogating the mission of the FRAC, with 'nomadic' collections made to be distributed.

The publication includes an interview with FRAC des Pays de La Loire Director, Laurence Gateau, as well as specially commissioned texts by Ami Barak, Katrina brown and Zoë Gray.