La Mer
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La Mer *
La Mer offers an immersive experience that captures the spirit of the sea in a city that lives and breathes its Mediterranean influence. This sophisticated pop-up exhibition and cultural celebration will bring Marseille's cosmopolitan character to life, engaging all the senses with curated explorations of its rich hybridity, its legacy of exchange, and its vibrant mosaic of color, language, and migration.
From intimate boutique art fair to citywide cultural activations, Mediterranean music, film screenings, and bespoke journeys through hidden alleys and intimate spaces, La Mer invites participants to delve into the city’s layered heritage. Guests can engage with workshops and masterclasses led by artisans and artists, attend exhibitions of visual arts, fashion, design, and literature, and discover itineraries infused with scent, spice, and sound, from the mistral winds to the maquis landscape.
La Mer is curated by Armelle Dakouo and Jonah Steinberg in collaboration with Jessica Hodin Lévy.
Armelle Dakouo
Armelle Dakouo is an independent curator with an in-depth knowledge of the contemporary art scene on the African continent and beyond. She was the artistic director of the contemporary art and design fair Also Known As Africa in Paris from 2017 to 2024 and co-curator of the Biennale du Congo 2022 in Kinshasa, DRC. Since 2010, Armelle has created and produced touring photographic exhibitions and worked as a curator with art galleries.
Jonah Steinberg
Jonah Steinberg is an author, curator, professor and associate director at The Walker Institute of International and Area Studies. Jonah is also a founding curator and commissioning director of Barvalo, a participatory, collaborative, and community-centered exhibition project at Marseille's Musée des Civilizations de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée (Mucem).
Jessica Hodin Lévy
Jessica Hodin Lévy is an arts business strategist and independent curator. Her experience includes Art Basel and Frieze, where she focused on brand partnerships, audience & strategic development, and fundraising. Prior to the art fairs, she worked for Winston Art Group and was Director and Curator of Bleecker Street Arts Club in Manhattan’s West Village.