The MAMO, Marseille Modulor, Cite radieuse, Marseille
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...
Digue du Large: Terraces, Kader Attia
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...
Fort St Jean
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...
La Table
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...
Opening of the Mucem
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...
Transhumance: bivouac a Istres, Cavaliers Butteri de Maremme
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...
Picasso à Aubagne
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...
Samuel Bekett, Oh les beaux jours au Theatre Nono
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...
Flammes et flots sur le vieux port
Magic evening yesterday (and again tonight) on the « Vieux port » by the company Carabosse, to inaugurate « La folle histoire des arts de la rue » , a festival of free street shows in the Marseille until May 20, see program here
La renaissance du Vieux port
Although the vieux port’s actual face seems quite normal to most considering it’s importance as Marseille’s focal point, it used to be no more than a few feet wide stretch of sidewalk with most of the pavement dedicated to traffic and boat owners. Although the planners couldn’t make the traffic disappear completely (the car...
MP2013 @ La Vieille Charitée
La Vieille Charite, one of Marseille’s architect Pierre Pujet’s masterpiece used to be a shelter house for the poor. Abandonned, it was refurbished in the 1980’s. It now houses the Mediterranean Architectural Museum. It’s peaceful courtyard is a welcome stop on a hot day after a stroll through the Panier, or now, through the sea...
Le J1
A pier belonging to the harbour of Marseille, for MP2013 European capital of culture, the J1 is being lend to the city of Marseille and hosts events and exhibitions. Its metallic industrial-looking structure, harbours different pop-ups (a cafe, a shop/library, a photo studio and a concert/theatre scene) and galleries, all enjoying the incredible views over...