Les Boîtes Collector, de l’art à partager

The Collector’s Edition Boxes project was born of a desire to shake up ways of looking at contemporary art, its modes of distribution, and the art market through the edition of a very affordable artwork.

The project continues the very special relationship The Laughing Cow® has maintained with contemporary artists since its inception, while respecting the values of sharing, excellence and innovation promoted by the Bel Group, as one of its emblematic brands.

Since 2014, twelve artists have successfully taken part in the often challenging exercise of confronting and integrating the brand, its codes and all that it has managed to build over time with their own particular practice, and in so doing, shifting how the brand is perceived. They have skillfully responded to the commission from the Group and its artistic laboratory, Lab’Bel, posing questions as to the status of the box and the iconic character of its laughing mascot.

Some of the invited artists had already developed a very close bond with the cow and had previously introduced it in their work, either occasionally or in a more substantial corpus spread over time; others had some formal and constituent elements in common with it in their artistic vocabulary; others took advantage of the commission to extend the image of the cow through other projects, thereby emphasizing a form of coherence between their approach and what they had been asked to do. There were even some artists who, need we recall, served their own collectors’ interests by diverting the history of the brand in a very personal incursion that didn’t preclude serving their own glory — but is it not this project’s peculiarity to create this type of temptation?

All the artists took very different and often dizzying directions, exploring the new perspectives that these opened up, and keen to hold their own after being included in a series so brilliantly executed by their predecessors. They all took to heart the challenge with which they were entrusted, becoming part of the history of a brand which, despite its historical roots in a form of tradition, has underlined its timeless nature and an undeniable form of contemporaneity through this type of project.

I can say with some degree of confidence that the Group, its employees and directors, but also the family that has been at its head for five generations, and of which I have the honor of being a member, are extremely grateful to these artists. Furthermore, we take great pride in these successive collaborations. I allow myself, on their behalf, to extend our warmest thanks.

From 2016 to 2021, the project was presented each year at FIAC, Paris’s International Contemporary Art Fair, in the prestigious setting of the Grand Palais, at the invitation of its then-director Jennifer Flay; and from 2023 to 2025 at the Paris Internationale art fair courtesy of Alix Dionot-Morani. It has quickly established itself as a highly anticipated event that amateurs of contemporary art and fans of the brand alike look forward to.

Each Collector’s Edition Box has likely sparked interest in collecting among the general public, while naturally finding its place in the homes of the most demanding collectors. Each can be displayed on kitchen tables and bookshelves, or just as easily stored away from light and moisture in the most secret of warehouses as a hopeful investment that looks beyond its expiry date. For example, the first editions, no longer freely available, are now highly sought after and speculation is high, following a market-like logic.

After initially being made available in supermarkets, the Collector’s Edition Box is now accessible to everyone thanks to Internet-based distribution, which has helped broaden its audience. The conclusion is indisputable: the brand has clearly become a valuable ambassador for all of the artists who took part in the project, at the same time as contributing to make contemporary art more accessible and increasing awareness of conceptual practices that are sometimes unknown to the general public.

What very quickly emerged as an object of pride for the Bel Group, and even as a constituent element of its culture, is today presented internationally as a case study used to teach business and marketing students the importance, for a brand, of offering “extra” significance to its consumers if it intends to distinguish itself from competitors — a commitment that contributed to the success of The Laughing Cow® from as early as the 1920s.

The brand enjoys similar acclaim in the contemporary art world: one Collector’s Edition Box after another, each proposal has been recognized for its relevance and impact. What’s more, the project admirably brings to light the fruitful interplay that can take place between art and business, as evidenced by the series of Collector’s Edition Boxes being added to the collections of Marseille’s Mucem, the FRAC Picardie, and Frankfurt’s MMK, thanks to the enthusiasm and friendship of Édouard de Laubrie, Pascal Neveux, and Susanne Pfeffer.

Feel free to follow their example today: indulge yourself and become a savvy collector in your own right. It is our utmost pleasure to invite you to get your hands on the Collector’s Edition Boxes and, in turn, face the dilemma of jealously preserving them or sharing them — and your passion for art — with all of your loved ones.

Laurent Fiévet
Director of Lab’Bel, the artistic laboratory of the Bel Group