Marseille is hosting a major contemporary art exhibition program titled "Mediterranean Season," featuring a wide array of installations and shows across multiple venues. Highlights include Zineb Sédira's remake of her French Pavilion presentation from the 2022 Venice Biennale, a multi-screen video installation by Abdessamad El Montassir exploring the Sahrawi desert, and the first French exhibition of video artist Mona Benyamin at the Triangle-Astérides art center. The program also includes a group show from the Southern Art Schools Network, the "Tangier-Marseille Highway" exhibition, and a vibrant presentation at the La Compagnie art center in the Belsunce neighborhood titled "Its Roots Extend Up to 7,000 km," featuring six artists.
This program matters because it positions Marseille as a dynamic hub for contemporary art with a strong Mediterranean and decolonial focus, bringing together artists from North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. By emphasizing living archives, cross-cultural collaboration, and community engagement—particularly through venues like La Compagnie—the season challenges the traditional Paris-centric art world and highlights the importance of regional and transnational artistic exchange. It also showcases emerging and underrepresented voices, reinforcing Marseille's role as a site of cultural innovation and dialogue.