Théo Mercier

Gᴖᴗdworld Studio+Company

MUCEM, Marseille, France
Permanent exhibition, from June 5, 2024

In his work, Théo Mercier analyzes the way in which our visual and cultural heritages have become sedimented over the course of history, in order to draw out harmonious contradictions. At the invitation of the curatorial team, he infiltrated the production process of the permanent exhibition “Méditerranées” and the reserves of the Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée (MUCEM) and the Département des Recherches Archéologiques Subaquatiques et Sous-marines (DRASSM). This “carte blanche” exhibition features a series of works arranged along the itinerary, questioning the notion of the Mediterranean through eclectic fragments and objects. The artist questions the aesthetic canons that have long prevailed and the role of the museum in the creation of heritage. Museums create new relationships with objects, displacing them, and this is also what Théo Mercier does here. By replacing, assembling and hybridizing antique objects, collected materials and exhibition equipment, he invites us to imagine other possible forms, histories and circulations of objects.

Image credits

Erwan Fichou

Théo Mercier

Gᴖᴗdworld Studio+Company

Video

Cast

General Curator
Marie-Charlotte Calafat, Chief Curator of Heritage, Scientific and Collections Director, Mucem

Curators
Justine Bohbote, Raphaël Bories, Camille Faucourt, Enguerrand Lascols, Hélia Paukner, curators at Mucem

Artistic production, Goodworld Studio – Théo Mercier
Céline Peychet, studio director and artistic consultant
Marius Belmeguenaï and Rémi Gaubert, artist assistants
In collaboration with Antoine Gautron and Emmanuel Duffaut (Sud Side), pedestals, Alexandre Marque, stone mason (Atelier provençal de la pierre) and Étienne Marc, artist.

Scenography
Set design: Pascal Rodriguez
Lighting design: Raymond Belle
Construction: Barem
Electricity and lighting: Ithaque

Exhibition production
Agathe Salgon, project manager, assisted by Marion Ghestin
Valérie Décombas, Exhibition Technical Manager
Marilyne Besnier, art director, assisted by Jeanne Beuscart

Tour dates