From Art-o-rama Marseille To Luma Arles: The Many Testaments Of Southern France’s Capacity To Dream Big

Looking around, all the artists seem to not only demonstrate bold dedication to their medium but also an eagerness to experiment and make waves in an industry that often feels impossibly exclusive. With a cheerful and encouraging spirit, the fair wants precisely that: to invite artists and visitors to reposition their perception of what art is and can be. Art-o-rama has a fierce determination to center the southern French scene, well beyond its premisesThis year, Art-o-rama took its ethos a step forward, including contemporary design in the Edition Art & Design section, with 22 international exhibitors—amongst them, French Cliché and 13 Dessert from Paris—plus a special program of conversations and free screenings. Yet its mission does not stop there. The fair has a fierce determination to center the southern French scene, well beyond its premises. The result? An exciting web of events that activates art collectives, independent venues, and public spaces. At the art center Cirva, for example, The Fondation D’entreprise Hermès presents ‘Le Verre,’ with stunning glass works created by the Skills Academy, under the direction of designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance. Elsewhere, at Frac Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Marseille-based Franco-Portuguese artist Wilfrid Almendra reinvents our production and consumption patterns, imagining working-class gardens, peacocks, and roadside flowers as common landscapes.