Summer in Marseille is not only synonymous with swimming, pastis and chichis. The city is also burning with a plethora of art exhibitions. On the program for summer 2022; the Egyptians, contemporary artists, and militant art works. All these exhibitions tell us stories that open other worlds.
The most ecological: “Adélaïde” de Wilfrid Almendra at la Friche la Belle de Mai
When? From 24 June to 16 October 2022 (Tuesday to Friday 14:00 > 19:00, Saturday and Sunday 13:00 > 19:00)
Where? Friche La Belle de Mai
How much? €5 (reductions €3)
Questions? Here
A Franco-Portuguese artist living in Marseille since 2015, Wilfrid Almendra offers art works like a wandering voyage. The sculptures and installations are made from salvaged items; hat, tank top, socks, shorts, used and frozen by casting in aluminium, sheet metal and other materials. Coming from a family of Portuguese immigrant workers, the artist is inspired by this history and references it to not only offer a tribute to these lives – in particular that of Adelaide, an important figure in his family – but also to create links and rethink our relationships with the living in all its forms.
The most LGBTQIA+: “The Other Side” by Nan Goldin at musée Grobet-Labadié
When? Les 24, 25, 26 juin et 1, 2, 3 juillet 2022
Where? Musée Grobet-Labadié
How much? From €6 to €12 (Recuctions from €3 to €8)
Questions? Here
Beware, there are only a few dates to see “The Other Side”, one of the cult works of the priestess of photographic, Nan Goldin. Opened as part of this (very) short exhibition on the occasion of LGBT pride week, the Grabet-Labadié museum exhibits this rare set of 193 slides taken between 1972 and 2009 and which documents the ballroom scene, a New-York movement where doubly discriminated communities, gay and racialized, competed to win a trophy thanks to their looks and their performances.
The most elite: “Le Modulor du Basketball” by Daniel Arsham at MAMO, centre d’art de la Cité Radieuse.
When? From 25 June to 25 September 2022 (Wednesday > Sunday from 11:00 to 18:00)
Where? MAMO – Centre d’art de la Cité Radieuse
How much? Free
Questions? Here
It is always with undisguised impatience that we await the new MAMO summer exhibition. The extraordinary setting of the roof terrace of the Cité Radieuse du Corbusier is already a fairly ideal starting point for any visit, but each year the choice of the artist who is entrusted with the space also tickles our curiosity. Daniel Arsham is the lucky winner in 2022. The New York artist pays homage to the first function of the MAMO room – a gymnasium – and imagines a dialogue between the architectural work of Le Corbusier, his personal passion for sport and basketball in particular, and the erosion of time.
The most iconic: “Pharaons Superstar” at Mucem
When? Everyday except Tuesday from 10:00 > 19:00 (20:00 from 8th July until 30th August).
Where? Mucem
How much? €11 (Reduced €7,50)
Questions? Here
This is the superstar exhibition of the summer! If Cleopatra, Cheops, Nefertiti and other Ramses II or Tutankhamun have (almost) no more secrets for us, it is to bet that the extraordinary collection of 300 artifacts at the Mucem will still enable us to discover some real nuggets. In particular, how did these “stars” who seem so familiar to us change so over time? And what about the other kings and queens of ancient Egypt – Nectanebo, Sesotris, Téti, does that ring a bell? Hurry to the Mucem to find out more.
The most organic: “Formes molles” by Baptiste and Jaïna at la Friche de l’Escalette
When? From 1st July to 31 August (visite sur RDV)
Where? Friche de l’Escalette
How much? Free
Questions? Here
La Friche de l’Escalette is one of the nuggets that only Marseille produce. In a breathtaking place located in the Calanques National Park on the remains of an old lead factory. Here Gallery 54 had the good idea to imagine a park of sculptures and architecture. Since the exhibition of a prototype of a tropical habitat created by Jean Prouvé in 2016, the Friche de l’Escalette has been enriched each year with new works, such as the sculptures of Marjolaine Dégremont and Vincent Scali, of Max Bill or of Francois Stahli. This year the duo of ceramists and sculptors from Atelier Baptiste and Jaïna are presenting two sculptures, two “formes molles” or “soft forms”.
The most decolonialised: “Radio Voz da Liberdade” d’Angéla Ferreira at FRAC
When? From 25 June 2022 to 22 January 2023 (Wednesday > Saturday 12:00 to 19:00, Sunday from 14:00 to 18:00)
Where? FRAC
How much? €5 (reduced €2,50)
Questions? Here
As part of its “Faire Société” project, the FRAC invited Ângela Ferreira to contribute. Portuguese and born in Mozambique, the artist combines installations, photos and videos to explore the colonial history of her country and in particular the essential role that radio stations played during independence. Hosted by Radio Alger between 1962 and 1974, the Portuguese radio station Radio Voz da Liberdade is the red thread of this exhibition as a reminder that any artistic act is also political.
The most disruptive: “Lumière Passion” by Thomas Mailaender at the Centre Photographique de Marseille
When? Until 10th September (Wednesday > Saturday from 14:00 to 19:00)
Where? Centre photographique de Marseille
How much? Free
Questions? Here
This is not an exhibition. An exhibited performance perhaps, or a process, maybe a poetic gesture or all of this at once. Thomas Mailaender is never where you expect him to be. Here there is no finished work, exhibited, immobile, waiting for a gaze that will bring it to life. The roles are more ambivalent, porous; the work is being done there before your eyes, it was different yesterday and will be different tomorrow. A fleeting but unique moment.
The most feminist: “L’oeil du labyrinthe” by Vieira da Silva at the Musée Cantini
When? Until 6 November 2022 (Tuesday > Sunday from 9:00 to 18:00)
Where? Musée Cantini
How much? From €6 to €12 (reduced from €3 to €8)
Questions? Here
The Cantini Museum celebrates one of the most important figures in 20th century painting by exhibiting the work of the Portuguese-born artist, Maria Helena Vieira da Silva (1908-1992). Little known to the general public, Marseille is trying to remedy this lack and restore the place of the painter in the history of art. Praised by her peers, Viera da Silva’s work, which ranges from the figurative to the abstract, is “obviously contemporary” according to gallery owner Véronique Jaeger. More than 80 works are exhibited at the Cantini museum, illustrating the journey of the one that it is high time to discover.
The most aquatic : Villa Cosquer Méditerranée
When? Everyday from 9:00 to 21:00 (summer hours)
Where? Promenade Robert Laffont 13002 Marseille
How much? Adult €16 / 6 to 9 years €5 / 10 to 17 years €10 / Under 6s free
Questions? Here
If diving to a depth of more than 37 meters is not in your immediate plans but you still dream of admiring the cave that Henri Cosquer discovered near Cape Morgiou in 1985 then it is possible since the Villa Méditerranée, renamed Villa Cosquer Méditerranée, hosts a full reconstruction of the eponymous cave. A fun and educational visit combining history, geology and climatology that is worth the detour!
By Valérie Vangreveninge
(Photos – Friche de l’Escopette © 2016 – Archives Eric Touchaleaume / Galerie 54)
