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"Summer 2003 marked the 20th anniversary of the Regional Contemporary Art Funds (RCAF), an event that was celebrated in all regions of France. These quite unique institutions have collected more than 15,000 masterpieces and have been a key element in the diffusion of contemporary art and cultural land planning. An assessment of their actions has been carried out by sociologists, economists, art historians and experts in political sciences. Despite geographers’ little interest in this field of research, it appears important to make a geographical assessment of the establishment of the RCAF in light of decentralization policies. The principle of parity in the State and regional participations was at the heart of the creation of RCAFs irrespective of political persuasions. Twenty years later, the RCAFs have stood up to political changes; there is no clear link between the political persuasion of the regions and their involvement in the RCAF. However, geographical disparities are important in terms of budgets, running modes and spatial distribution. The State’s progressive disengagement, through increased decentralization, tends to further emphasize these disparities."