Context
Mediterranean Landmarks
A jury, made up mainly of North Europeans just unanimity designated Marseille as the “European Capital of Culture for the year 2013”. The City was chosen over Lyon, Bordeaux, and Toulouse, which may compensate the 2007 disappointment when the city was turned down by the America’s Cup organization.
A team of sponsors had been preparing Marseille candidacy for years. It is supported by Jaques Pfister, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry since 2005, and President of the MP association 2013, which is advocating the project.
Many factors contributed in this designation among them the deep engagement of economic circles and the formation of an alliance regrouping hundreds of communes within Marseille as Aix, Arles and even Toulon for a certain time (it took its distance in 2010), which means over 2 million inhabitants.
However, arguments presented by Bernard Latarjet, director of the candidacy program, were according to him the most the most crucial. He said that Marseille needed this recognition more than the other competing cities, and that its Euro- Mediterranean project oriented towards intercultural dialogue was the most significant for Europe.
The project is based on two literary and artistic axis. “le Partage de Midis” or (The Mediterranean Sharing), which is oriented towards the Mediterranean world, the second axe “La Cité radieuse” (The Radiant City), aiming to associate the population to the cultural action, hence contributing in and urban revolution.
The announced initiatives shall be accompanied by workshops from the Euro- Mediterranean area spread among neighborhoods and institutions in order to approach between artistic creations and the population. That scheme succeeded in seducing a jury that will never forget that the principal of a “European Capital of Culture” first appeared in 1985 by the European Commission, due to the initiative of Melina Mercouri, Greek culture minister, in order to promote the idea of a European identity. The designation hence, is based on a European policy which within the last decade made the Mediterranean a top priority, and that was clear through the Union for the Mediterranean.
This designation also corresponds to the new cultural and positively cosmopolitan image of Marseille which flourished not only through its flagship institutions such as (La Criée National Theater, the Marseille National Ballet, etc..) but also through highly advertised one of a kind initiatives, such as the “La Fiesta des Suds”, “La Friche Belle- de- Mai”, the “City of streets arts”, etc.
Holding the title of “European Capital of Culture” would endow the great economic and urban process in the Euro- Mediterranean quarters a superior cultural dimension.
A huge budget of 100 million Euros was consecrated for this effort, which is considered one of the biggest budgets for such type of initiatives, a uniting event on the regional level.
Before Marseille, 46 cities of different sizes held this title. Athens was first, Paris was chosen in 1989.
Some may forget that Avignon was one of those cities in 2000 because it received less attention as it was among 9 other cities. Prior of that year, the jury’s could only choose one city, and after 2000, it generally chose two. For the year 2013, Slovenian city of Kosice was chosen next to Marseille.
Despite a difficult establishment and tensions that may have arisen between competing cities and various initiative presenters, the project has today entered its final phase.
The biggest axes were specified in early 2011 by Bernard Latarjet and a pre – program was presented in January 2012 by his successor Jean Francois Chougnet, in his capacity as general manager.
The result was impressing: 500 projects labeled, 80 exhibitions in the region, 70 workshops of the Euro- Mediterranean region, festivals that for some will give place for perennial manifestations, new museums and renovated ones.
The 2013 event will be organized as a “story” changing from a season to season, starting with “Marseille hosts the world” (winter), “The radiant city” (spring), “art in the air” (summer), “revelations” (autumn).
Among the most marked events in 2013, we mention “Le Grand atelier de Midi” (The Mediterranean grand workshop) which presented in the Fine Art Museum at the Longchamp Palace in Marseille and in the Granet at Aix ( both renovated) 240 “Mediterranean” masterpieces, some of the most celebrated painters contributing in a spectacular creation “Transhumance” that converged in Marseille from the Crau plain, showing a caravan of people and animals.
Among the events we also mention The GR 2012 which runs down the Bouches – du – Rhones, the inauguration of the Mediterranean regional center, the InterMed festival offering masterpieces made by the workshops, and a festival of street arts.
2013 also marks the opening of Mucem- the museum of European and Mediterranean civilizations, built over the ancient dock J4 by architect Rudy Ricciotti.
We have been waiting this achievement for over 10 years, after the closure of the Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions in Paris and the decision to “decentralize” the institution which should have taken its place.
It was not a long time ago, when attributing a significant cultural role to Marseille was seen as surprising. It did not enjoy a good reputation in this field and was not seen as attractive by the outside viewer. And despite a bit of traces left from the pasr, labeling Marseille as the “European capital of culture” confirms that the city has widely changed.
Refrences:
Marseille – Provence Association 2013, Marseille Provence 2013, candidacy file, 2007, 272 p.
Marseille – Provence Association 2013, European Capital of Culture, multilingual presentation brochure , regularly updated.
Boris Gresillon, the Saké “capital”, Marseille – Provence 2013, Aigues Tour, Dawn, 2011, 172 p.
