La Story (Les Echos) Commentary: Raja Chairwoman Danièle Marcovici—The Villa Datrice Foundation and Corporate Art Collection Opening Modern Sculpture to the Public for Free

August 13, 2026

Overview

The daily podcast La Story from the French economic newspaper Les Echos is airing a five-part summer special series in August themed around "Executives and Culture." In this project, Martine Robert, a journalist specializing in patronage (arts and culture support) and the arts, visits five executives who are passionate about heritage, photography, music, performing arts, and contemporary art. This fourth installment features Danièle Marcovici, Chairwoman of the packaging giant Raja Group.

Marcovici is an executive who took over the cardboard company founded by her mother, Rachel, in the early 1980s, transformed it into a mail-order business, and grew it into a company with approximately 1 billion euros (approx. 183.7 billion yen, calculated at 1 euro = 183.72 yen) in revenue, operating in 20 European countries. At the same time, she manages the Villa Datrice Foundation, which aims to bring contemporary art to the general public, and has built two collections: her own personal collection and the corporate collection, "Raja Art Contemporain."

In this episode, Marcovici explains in her own words why she makes contemporary art, especially sculpture, available for free, and the thoughts behind sharing a corporate collection linked to the company's core business of "packaging" with its employees. It highlights how her support for the arts and her more than 20 years of advocacy for women's rights are rooted in a consistent philosophy of "inheritance and sharing" that transcends the boundaries of corporate management.

The Origins of the Raja Group

The Raja Group was founded by Marcovici's mother, Rachel, along with a co-founder named Janine. The name "Raja" is a combination of their two names and is not derived from any Indian language. Janine left the company early on, and Rachel, who possessed excellent business acumen, developed the business.

It was originally a cardboard company called "Cartons Rajah," and it is said that they started with recycled cardboard. This means they were practicing the circular economy concepts that are attracting renewed attention today from the very beginning. Over the following decades, they expanded their product line.

Marcovici took over management in the early 1980s. Since the internet did not exist at the time, she first shifted the business to catalog mail-order and expanded nationwide. In the 1990s, she embarked on international expansion in Europe, and today the business has spread to 20 European countries. Today's Raja has grown into a company with approximately 1 billion euros (approx. 183.7 billion yen) in revenue and about 4,500 employees across 20 European countries.

Villa Datrice Foundation—Popularizing Contemporary Art

Marcovici says that she is not naturally a collector by nature. Her passion for art came later, nurtured as she traveled and developed an interest in all forms of art and culture, including music and painting, in the 1970s. The very idea of a collection did not cross her mind until the concept for the Villa Datrice Foundation was born.

The concept for this foundation was born around 2009–2010, together with her partner, the architect Tristan Fourtine. Their goal was to bring contemporary art to the general public and help them become familiar with it. This is why admission is free for everyone, and since the first exhibition, "Sculpteur pluriel," in 2011, they have held large-scale themed exhibitions exclusively on contemporary sculpture every year from May to November in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue in the south of France.

It is said that this venue in the south of France now attracts more than 70,000 visitors every year. Furthermore, in 2018, they opened a base called "Espace Montecristo" in the 20th arrondissement of Paris to exhibit works from the Villa Datrice Foundation's collection.

Marcovici positions this project as a "project of inheritance and sharing." The aim is to have the general public, who do not frequent museums and are even less familiar with art galleries, discover and love contemporary art. At its core is what she calls an "anti-elitist" stance.

Why Sculpture?

There is a reason why she chose sculpture. The venue she discovered in 2011, a large villa along the Sorgue River and its garden, was perfect for exhibiting contemporary sculpture. The intention was to open a gateway to contemporary art for the public through the form of sculpture, and to share both "meaning" and "form."

Marcovici believes that sculpture is much more accessible to the general public. It is space, volume, form, a technique, and a meaning. She says that sculpture helps visitors better understand the artist's techniques and the methods they use to express their ideas.

Moreover, these themed exhibitions always include a social perspective and choices regarding society. Because they speak about society itself, Marcovici says they are very accessible in terms of questioning, explaining, and encouraging understanding. Of course, there is an aesthetic aspect to sculpture, but she emphasizes that it is not the main focus.

Current Exhibition: "Mediterranean"

The current exhibition has been open in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue since mid-May. The title is "Méditerranée, Odyssées contemporaines" (Mediterranean, Contemporary Odysseys).

This exhibition speaks of migration, the journey of exile, exclusion, and the crossing of the great sea. While depicting the Mediterranean as a 'graveyard,' it does not stop there; it also portrays it as a place of transit, exchange, and hope for those forced to walk the path toward a better future—even if those people are not always warmly welcomed.

A collection born from exhibitions

The origin of this collection is unique. Contrary to the norm, the collection is born from the exhibitions. Since 2011, the foundation has been organizing exhibitions by borrowing works from museums, artists, and galleries. Marcovici herself chooses the themes and serves as the general director of the projects, juggling multiple roles. And every year, after returning the works from the exhibition, she acquires some of them.

Thus, after about 15 years, the collection has become a reflection and memory of all the exhibitions held to date, an accumulation of the social themes addressed over the years. Themes include textiles from the perspective of 'creating connections' within society. The 2013 'Sculptrices' (Women Sculptors) exhibition was her first feminist exhibition, and it was the first attempt at the time to feature only women—60 to 70 female sculptors. As of 2013, it was an attempt to break the invisibility of female artists.

The exhibitions take the form of group shows, featuring approximately 70 to 80 artists each year, with one or sometimes two works displayed per artist. Marcovici estimates that over the cumulative 15 years, nearly 1,000 artists have been exhibited. This includes men and women, French and foreign, famous and unknown, as well as emerging artists. The emphasis is on the quality of the work and the 'meaning' that corresponds to the chosen theme.

Dialogue with diverse visitors

Being free of charge in a tourist destination attracts a diverse range of visitors. L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is one of France's leading antique towns, visited not only by the French but also by many foreign tourists who love Provence and the inland Provençal region. It is not far from Avignon. Marcovici says the visitors are extremely diverse, ranging from collectors to families staying at campsites who arrive in flip-flops and shorts.

The role of the mediators (guides/interpreters) stationed at the villa is, above all, to engage in dialogue. They explain what the Villa Datrice Foundation is and what the works are, conveying information and encouraging understanding. Marcovici says it has become a place that is wide open to everyone.

They did not originally own this villa. When they conceived the project, they wanted to exhibit sculptures and looked for a location. The first exhibition, which was very modest, was closer to an 'internal show' where fellow artists brought their own works in their vans. Nevertheless, the philosophy of providing high-quality works even for free has remained consistent. There is a garden, it is pastoral, works are placed in the garden, and the house itself is on a human scale, which contributes to the friendliness of the place—that is how Marcovici describes the charm of the venue.

Corporate collection 'Raja Art Contemporain'

The other is the corporate collection, 'Raja Art Contemporain.' This is completely different in nature from that of the foundation. It also had a very modest beginning, with a few works brought in during the 1990s.

Marcovici had realized early on, while visiting museums, that great artists like Picasso used cardboard to create their work. They all started with modest art and modest materials. Moreover, those materials were exactly the products Raja handles: packaging materials.

In 1997, when they moved to the European headquarters in Paris Nord 2, a building so huge they couldn't even use the whole thing, Marcovici deepened her interest in contemporary art. She then conveyed to the employees that many artists were expressing a wide variety of ideas and concepts surrounding packaging itself or the concept of packaging.

Some works are made of cardboard, but in fact, there are not many. There are also bronze and marble works, all of which have a connection to packaging or carry meaning surrounding packaging. She says that galleries sometimes propose artists who create stunning works out of adhesive tape, and here too, the meaning is questioned just as much as the form.

This collection consists of about 250 pieces. The number is modest because it is not born from an intention to build a collection, but rather from an intention to have people discover contemporary art through the materials and products that are the company's livelihood. That is why this collection is linked to their business. Initially, it was packaging, and now that the group also includes companies that handle industrial supplies, there are also works that express and depict the world of industrial supplies.

A collection for employees

Marcovici says this collection is for the employees. The employees work and live in a museum of contemporary art every day. Mediators involved in the foundation's operations organize guided tours within the company, and employees sign up to tour the works in the building. She says this is very popular. This is because contemporary art is a bit difficult, requires explanation, raises questions, and invites further inquiry.

As an example of the works, Daniel Firman's piece, which speaks of recycling, uses a lot of plastic and is a protest against consumer society. Works dealing with the environment, feminism, and all kinds of social themes are expressed through sculpture. There are also paintings and photographs, but sculpture is particularly powerful, occupies space, and allows for a much better understanding of the artist's expression, says Marcovici.

In the 'Raja Art' collection, the majority of the works are also sculptures. For example, there is actually a giant ceramic roll of cushioning material (air cushions), which she says is loved by the people. The materials are truly diverse, and it has become a way for employees to discover the world of contemporary art and enrich their livelihood.

And this collection brings pride to the employees. Marcovici says she had hardly spoken about it until now, and she apparently talked about it for the first time at the company's general meeting this winter. When she explained that this collection was neither for decoration nor a product of her own passion for contemporary art, but for the employees—to enrich their world through the works—everyone applauded. She recalls that it served as a form of validation, and she herself was deeply moved. She says she is explaining it in the same way at the annual meetings of each subsidiary.

Furthermore, works from the collection are sometimes loaned to museums. This year, two pieces from the "Raja" collection are being exhibited at a museum's "Bonne Mère" exhibition. Loaning works to museums in France and abroad brings great pride to the employees.

What art brings

As a business leader, and for the employees, what does art bring to daily life? Ms. Marcovici prefaces her answer by saying that as a manager, she draws inspiration from everywhere, including Les Echos, but regarding art, she says that she lives constantly surrounded by artists and gallery owners, along with the Villa Datrice Foundation and her own collection. For the employees, it is a window open to the world, a place for reflection and imagination, and a breath of fresh air.

20 years of supporting women

To conclude the program, Ms. Marcovici's other strong commitment, her advocacy for women's rights, is discussed. This is through the foundation she established 20 years ago.

At the time, it was long before the #MeToo movement, and women's issues were still a "taboo subject." That is precisely why she believed that injustice, inequality, and the trampled rights of women in various places were, in fact, essential themes. Every year, this foundation supports organizations working for women. From the beginning, it has supported initiatives such as the domestic violence hotline "39-19," and it addresses a wide range of issues, including education, social activities, women's rights, the fight against violence, and even workshops for employment support and shelters.

The "Femmes et Environnement" (Women and Environment) program, launched during the time of COP21 (the 21st UN Climate Change Conference), supports many women involved in agroecology and agricultural cooperatives in various regions. The foundation has set up a website to widely share information about the activities and organizations it supports around the world.

▶ Previous episode in this series: La Story (Les Echos) Commentary: SACEM's Cécile Rap-Veber—1.7 billion euros in copyright collection, French-American film festivals, AI learning, and creator protection https://note.com/yondo/n/n84a0e83d297e

▶ Read more articles on this theme: Magazine "Overseas Business Programs Not Readable in Japanese" https://note.com/yondo/m/mefd2fd5a305c

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