The Beautiful Renaissance of the [mac] in Marseille

La belle renaissance du [mac] à Marseille

The [mac] (Musée d’Art Contemporain) in Marseille is undergoing a significant revival following years of stagnation and underfunding. Under the new leadership of Stéphanie Airaud, who was appointed in 2023, the museum has completed major renovations including updated storage facilities, a new rooftop terrace, and a reorganized gallery layout. The institution is leveraging its impressive but previously underutilized collection of over 1,000 works—featuring masters like Basquiat, Klein, and Saint Phalle—while actively working to correct historical gender imbalances and strengthen ties to Mediterranean contemporary art.

A new experimental and independent art and culture bookstore is about to open in Venice

A Venezia sta per aprire una nuova libreria d’arte e cultura sperimentale e indipendente

Rupture Arts & Books is set to open a new experimental art bookstore and cultural hub in Venice’s Santa Croce district on April 29, 2026. Moving from its previous Giudecca location to the city’s "museum quarter" near Fondazione Prada, the space will function as more than a retail outlet, incorporating an independent publishing house, a record label, and a podcast production studio. Founded by Alexandre Sap and Anne-Marie Gaultier, the project aims to redefine the contemporary reading space through a multidisciplinary approach.

12 exhibitions to see in France over the Christmas holidays

Numéro magazine presents a curated guide to 12 contemporary art exhibitions across France during the 2025 Christmas holidays. Featured artists include Josèfa Ntjam at the IAC Villeurbanne, Alison Knowles (posthumous retrospective) at MAMC+ Saint-Étienne, Korakrit Arunanondchai at the Consortium in Dijon, Sylvie Fleury at Mrac Occitanie in Sérignan, and Clément Cogitore at Mucem in Marseille, among others. The article provides details on dates, locations, and thematic highlights for each show.

nazi bullet holes marseille madonna 1234765138

A restoration of the Madonna and Child statue atop Notre-Dame de la Garde in Marseille has revealed seven bullet holes from Nazi gunfire during World War II. The 37-foot-tall copper and iron statue, known as the Bonne Mère, was shot after the city's liberation in 1944, when German artillery units fired on the church, piercing the bell tower, breaking stained-glass windows, and destroying the ceiling mosaic. The bullet holes were discovered near the end of a five-year restoration that included re-gilding and the installation of a new crown via helicopter.