Founded in 2005, the Fondation Clément is the GBH corporate foundation that is a patron of the arts and cultural heritage in Martinique. Hosted on the site of Habitation Clément for which it also oversees its development and promotion, the Foundation extends its cultural heritage protection mandate to two other estates that represent the island's traditional Creole architecture: Habitation La Sucrerie and Habitation Pécoul. It is actively committed to preserving Martinique’s built heritage. The Foundation manages extensive collections of private archives, a library on the history of the Caribbean and iconographic collections, as well as producing cultural publications.
The Fondation Clément is also dedicated to promoting contemporary art in the Caribbean. Over 170 artists have already shown their works at the heritage site which now houses a contemporary art centre. Each year, a new season of exhibitions is organised, free to the public and school groups, and catalogues are published to accompany each art event. The Foundation furthers its contribution to the arts through the regular acquisition of artworks with a connection to the Caribbean, forming a large collection that is regularly exhibited.
To successfully meet the scope of its mission, the Fondation Clément officially opened – in January 2016 – a new building designed by Reichen et Robert & Associés. Rebuilt from the old vat room, whose metal structure was preserved, this modern and practical building features a 600 sq. m. exhibition area divided into three rooms all devoted to contemporary art.