At the top of the Palais Longchamps, house of the Musee des Beaux Arts and the Musee d’Histoire Naturelle, is a hilly park, also created during the XIX century. It used to host an « exotic style » zoo, as was the hype at that time. If the installations are now considered much too small to receive […]
Amazing how many museums are opening or reopening in Marseille, one French comic was even doing a sketch on that the other day on the radio.. Indeed there seems to be a museum opening every other month theses days, but that’s because before MP2013, Marseille was indecently poor in museal space, so thanks to all
It is only fair that this major exhibition on Le Corbusier’s work takes place in Marseille, on the beloved Mediterranean shores, in the town of the « Cite radieuse », first construction in which LC experimented the « romantisme du mal foutu ». The exhibitions reveals the architect but also the painter and sculptor Accounts of his
A welcome surprise, the renovation of this museum, encased under an ugly mall behind the Bourse, has been completely opened onto the archaeologic site of the antic harbour and now boasts multimedia exhibition with several interactive stands perfect for kids and adults alike. The exhibition is immense and takes hours to view, much in line
After several visits to the MucEM/Fort St Jean complex, we finally get to one of the current exhibition: « Le Noir et le bleu, Un rêve Méditerranéen », very much in the spirit of the spring exhibition of the J1. By mixing historical documents, archaeologic findings and art, the show takes us through history: the happy times and
An hypnotic midnight vision of the Chateau d’If, whose enormous walls were home to Edmond Dantes, the mythic Monte-Cristo count, now taken over by Group F and their spectacular show, Revelations, part of a series running throughout the year in Marseille and Provence, as part of MP2013 We arrive on the boat to see the
Cuban evening at Palais Longchamps, we are sitted on thick mats on the floor in front of the scene and end up lavishly laying down..
Some pics of the free opening concert of the 5 Continents Jazz Festival, this year at the J4 esplanade, in front of the Mucem, magic location.. In the background, the digue du large installation
The « Rencontres » d’Arles photographie run since 1970. They showcase famous or yet unknown photographers in different parts of taown, mainly historic buildings: desacralised churches, cloister, abandoned industrial sites sometimes only open their doors to this manifestation. This years « Rencontres » were (mainly) black and white. Amongst the wide offer that I had the chance to visualise,
Yet another incongouus experience with the festival MIMI in the ruins of the Hospital Caroline, at the top of one of the hills of the Frioul Island. It was used as a quarantine spot until WWII, when it was bombed and subsequently abandoned. It all starts with the shuttle from the Vieux Port Another
Played in the incredible setting of the fort d’Entrecasteaux dominating the Vieux port’s entrance, it’s definitely not one to miss if you like electro After the festival, a little stroll round the harbour admiring the Mucem by night..
Le Grand Atelier du Midi is an exhibition in two parts split between Aix-en-Provence’s Musee Granet, and Palais Longchamps in Marseille. After long awaited reopening Longchamps reopens it’s massive doors to a gorgeous exhibition with a selection of modern art inspired by the mediterranean light…it was worth the wait! Totally « hors sujet » like
Behind the MAMO is Ora Ito, a precocious design genius who created the buzz when he was 19. In a superbly generous move, he bought Le Corbusier Cite Radieuse‘s gymnasium and renovated it in order to turn it into an art centre: the MArseille MOdulor, with an obvious 😉 to NY’s MoMA, Marseille style. For
On a sunny (of course!) Sunday morning, here we are on the shuttle that leads us to the much anticipated Digue du Large, a jetty off the harbour that goes out into the sea…. so love to navigate, and so loved the trip!! The free shuttle leaves from the quay between the Villa Mediterrannee
The Fort St Jean is the XVIIth century fortress guarding the entrance of Marseille’s harbour. Unlike it’s neighbour, the fort St Nicolas on the south bank of the harbour, it has been closed to the public for several years, so it’s reopening is a blessing. Even well before the MUCEM’s inauguration, the promenade at the foot
Gerald Passedat needs no introduction to gastronomy geeks. But in case you haven’t yet heard of him, he is the legendary chef of one of the most acclaimed restaurants in South of France, « Le petit Nice », set in a villa perched on Marseille’s coast line, La Corniche. He has been very wisely chosen to head
Just had to be amongst the first lucky people to get in after the preview week-end in January… so here am I, on friday june 7th, 9 am…. and the Mucem kept all of it’s promises: it’s totally glorious in the sun, as it embraces the blues of the sea and the skies between it’s
The TransHumance, a massive and poetic event including hundreds of sheep, horses, cows…and humans who are crossing the Camargue and hills of southern Provence to finally meet in Marseille, on sunday June 9th. On the way they are stopping for bivouacs here and there. As we unfortunately (damned !!!) won’t be in Marseille on the
Part of MP2013 « Grand Atelier du midi », Picasso’s work as a ceramist is presented in the Chapelle des penitents noirs, at the top of the historic district of Aubagne. Wonderful interpretation of the antique art of ceramic, remarkable corrida scenes that seems to bring the oval plates alive (sol y sombra..), sculptures assembling various preset
An evening at the « Theatre Nono » is always an out of the ordinary experience… here we are all quite happily reclining on sun loungers: it helped us getting through some of the toughest parts of Beckett’s piece…with a few snores heard here and there, it was all in all a relaxed evening! It seems Serge