The Center d'art sacré de Lille is an exhibition center for contemporary sacred art. It is located inside the modern Crypt of the Lille Cathedral, built in the 1930s. The Center d'art sacré was inaugurated in 2003, following the official launch of "Lille 2006, European Capital of Culture" and on the occasion of the celebrations for the 90th anniversary of the diocese of Lille. In this space the works of the Delaine collection are exhibited: these are paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings, stained glass, all by artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Each work is related to the theme of the Passion of Christ. The history of the collection stems from a serious illness that had struck Gilbert Delaine, which had prompted him to ask artists to work on the theme of the Passion of Christ. Beginning in 1985, Delaine began receiving works from artist friends of the likes of Baselitz, Combas, Kijno, Fontana, Warhol and others. In 1996, the collection was donated to the diocese of Lille to make it a museum. It is a unique collection not only in France, but all over the world, in which contemporary art is linked to a theme completely abandoned by the artists of this generation. Since 2016, the Center d'art sacré has increased its objectives, also becoming a place open to creation, encounter and dialogue, giving exhibition space to local contemporary artists who work on the theme of Christian iconography.