Yesterday was belle bleu bling of the rub your eyes in Loony Tunes disbelief variety. “Let’s go to Marseille,” Remi tossed out just as the coffee was kicking in. “Where did that come from?” I wondered. “We never go to Marseille.” Have you heard its reputation? If rumours were to be believed you could not cross the street without being blind-sided and mugged then trampled over by vagrants.
Now, you would think that with our travelling experience, we would know better than to listen to les préjugés défavorables. Alas, um, nope. I believed the hype. Me, who used to walk home past Show World in Time Square at 3AM with nary a wrinkle of fear.
So it was with triple delight that I opened up my eyes to a vibrant, fascinating city. And there was nothing random about it, Remi had a plan. He always does.
Our destination?
La Vieille Charité. Built in the 17th century, it was as an almshouse for the poor that, while sounding like a refuge, was essentially a prison for beggars not to mention a workhouse for children. In 1760, there were over one thousand residents. After the French Revolution, it was taken over by the homeless and fell into disrepair.
It was the influential Minister of Culture
André Malraux who spear-headed the movement to restore the facility to its former Baroque glory, a process which would take over sixteen years.
Today, the Vieille Charité is home to several museums and is a thriving cultural centre.
There is nothing like ART to shake away the sadness of the past now is there?
With the light ping-ponging off the warmed up stone, we felt nothing but light, happiness…
…and inspiration breaking through and through and through. How it does.
The absolute main reason for our visit was a last dash to see the exhibition “Vestiges” by famed Magnum photographer
Josef Koudelka. From 1991-2012 he voyaged across nineteen countries around the Mediterranean to document the remains of the Roman and Greek archeological sites.
The result of his journey is absolutely stunning. Remi and I were both left breathless.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t take any photos in the exhibition itself, so please enjoy by clicking
here to have an inkling. Gorgeous.
However, photography was allowed in the other temporary exhibition,
The Treasury of Marseille, which featured 29 relics from the Greek National Treasury that had never been seen outside of their home country as well as a gorgeous 3D representation of the original temple at Delphi in which they were housed.
Admittedly, I was less drawn to the delicate fragments than to the bolder ideas, the colors and fluidity of the son et lumière, the sound and lighting special effects of which the French are true specialists.
Whoever thought up having clouds blow across the roof of the chapel has my dear gratitude. I was transfixed…
…and left dreaming of what it was like to be an explorer then…
…and happy, very much so, to be an explorer now.
Both exhibitions are a part of Marseille-Provence 2013, where the city and the surrounding region (including Arles!) have been declared the European Capital of Culture. There is so much more to see and I will look forward to taking in all that I can and hopefully bringing you along for the ride…
I think of you as someone who revels in spontaniety–am I right? So your response doesn't surprise me one bit! And from what I understand, there are definitely neighborhoods that are no go zones, but there is so much that is worth seeing–I will keep you posted after the next time I go back!
You're so right about Marseille's reputation as a crime infested vortex. Sadly, I've never been there because of it. I used to feel the same way about Nice until they installed the Tramway. However, what I like most about your post is the uplifted way in which you wrote it, almost like you have a fresh new lease on life. Sometimes it's good to just say, "yes" to being blasted out of our daily rut, n'est pas?
Maybe you will be able to incorporate those clouds into one of your projects one day?
And I forgot to explain the pigments! They show how different ochres and natural elements were used to create the "antique paint" used…neat, isn't it?
Hello Karena! The exhibit was absolutely amazing. The prints were HUGE and so beautifully done. At the end, we sat down and watched a 20 minute long slide show with 140 images–amazing!!!
Loree, the architecture reminds me of some of the Baroque glories that you have shown us on Malte!
And yes, the clouds really were magical…
Isn't that something? But yet not surprising given the time. How much things have changed for women…even if we still have a long way to go!
And yes, a book. A book! Something as lasting as their love…
Quite fascinating….how delightful to be taken on this little desk-chair ride into another world entirely. The clouds on the dome…glorious! x
When I visited in 1991, i was loaned the apartment of a friend of my cousins for three days and got to know the city a bit. I of course treated myself to lunch in one of the cafes in the Vieux Port, wondering over a pot of "moules" if I perhaps had found the very bistro my parents had eaten at 40 years before…
I have all the letters exchanged by my parents during that time in a box…As soon as my mother dies I will go through them and perhaps create a blog from them or even a book… (It's still very painful for her all this time later… She thought she was a fallen woman whose life was ruined, and even though it turned into exactly the opposite, that memory is deeply imprinted in her.)
Thank you for this special post Heather! I am excited to go and look at more images of this amazing exhibit.
The renovation is wondrous!
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
I absolutely love the architecture. What a fascinating place – the history behind it and everything else, especially those clouds moving across the dome. Pure magic.