Othoniel-Creten Foundation is an endowment fund created by the artists of the same name, to develop, promote and enhance artistic creation in France and abroad. 
This not-for-profit platform also counts among its members Maître Matthieu Boccon-Gibod, lawyer at the Court of Paris, and contemporary art enthusiast. 

Jean-Michel Othoniel is a French artist born in 1964 in Saint-Étienne. He graduated from the École des Arts Supérieurs of Cergy-Pontoise in 1988 and first gained attention in 1992 by exhibiting sulfur sculptures at the Documenta in Kassel. In 1996, he became a resident at the Villa Medici, the French Academy in Rome, and glass was introduced into his work, gradually becoming his preferred material. In 2000, he created a commissioned piece for the RATP at Place Colette in Paris, the "Kiosque des Noctambules," the first in a long series of monumental public artworks. In 2015, he became the first contemporary artist to install permanent works in the gardens of the Château de Versailles. His work has been featured in numerous exhibitions both in France and abroad. In 2021, he became a member of the French Academy, part of the Institut de France.

In 2025, Jean-Michel Othoniel will present three major exhibitions in emblematic places: “Othoniel, the Enchantment” at the Long Museum in Shanghai from April 26 to July 27, “Poussière d’Étoiles” at La Malmaison in Cannes from May 17 to January 2026, and “OTHONIEL COSMOS or The Ghosts of Love”, a large-scale project shown across ten locations in France, including the Palais des Papes in Avignon, from June 27 to January 2026.
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Johan Creten is a Flemish Belgian sculptor born in 1963 in Sint-Truiden. In 1985, he graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent and later studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Johan Creten is one of the pioneers in bringing ceramics into contemporary art. His diverse work ranges from delicate clay sculptures to monumental bronze pieces. In 1995, he exhibited at the Centre Pompidou in the "Féminin Masculin" exhibition. In 1997, he was a resident at the Villa Medici, the French Academy in Rome. In 2005, he created numerous sculptures at the National Sèvres Manufactory, which were later exhibited at the Louvre Museum. A nomadic artist, nicknamed the "gypsy of ceramics," Johan Creten has integrated the concept of travel into his work, from Mexico to Miami, Rome to The Hague. His work has been showcased in numerous exhibitions in France and abroad.

In 2024, he presented a large retrospective exhibition “Jouer avec le feu” at the Musée des Beaux-Arts and throughout the city of Orléans. The eleven monumental bronze sculptures installed in the streets of Orléans will continue to interact with the urban space, its passers-by and its inhabitants, until December 7, 2025. 
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Their works are now part of numerous collections and prestigious museums such as the Centre Pompidou and the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. Though very different, both artists create a world filled with poetry, lyricism, and mystery, haunted by beauty and imbued with social and political dimensions.

These two internationally renowned artists have together established LA SOLFATARA in Montreuil, a 4,500-square-meter space that houses their studios, a café, a bookstore, archives, and an apartment for artist residencies. This generous space is dedicated to multidisciplinary exchanges around their creations, as well as fostering access to art for the Montreuil communities.

• Organize and participate in exhibitions, conferences, meetings, symposiums, screenings, performances, concerts, events, workshops, and activities related to contemporary art across all artistic disciplines
• Support, encourage, and promote the creative activities of artists, artisans, and students
• Assist schools, students, and associations by offering them a platform for reflection
• Offer a program of events dedicated to the various communities of the city of Montreuil
• Host artists, researchers, art historians, critics, museum curators, exhibition curators, students, artisans, etc., in residence
• Promote the artistic work of Johan Creten and Jean-Michel Othoniel
• Develop communication tools and outreach actions accessible to all audiences
• Collaborate with national and international artistic and cultural institutions
• Create awards and grants

Endowment Fund registered with the Prefecture of Île-de-France on October 27, 2023, under number 12964947 - FD1633, a private non-profit organization. The Fund's purpose is to promote, organize, or support any civic, collective, associative, or entrepreneurial action or initiative, in France or abroad, with a goal of general interest.

Tax deduction for companies: donations are eligible for a tax reduction of 60% of the donation amount, up to 0.5‰ of the company’s revenue.

Tax deduction for individuals: donations are eligible for a tax reduction of 66% of the donation amount, up to 20% of taxable income.

The board of directors consists of three founding members: Matthieu Boccon-Gibod, Johan Creten, Jean-Michel Othoniel.

For more information, contact us: contact@othonielcretenfoundation.com