Attention all contemporary art enthusiasts: a vibrant shot of creativity is taking over the Mucem just in time for the beautiful days ahead, with a new exhibition celebrating the works of Sète-born artist and painter Hervé Di Rosa. This journey is as colorful as it is poetic, taking us through a selection of pieces from the Mucem collection blended with creations by Di Rosa. Come and explore until September 1st!
A Family Affair in the Style of Hervé Di Rosa
A globetrotting artist and inventor of modest art who transcends cultures, mixes forms, and blends artistic codes, Hervé Di Rosa has spent his artistic life celebrating colors and materials, thus impacting the contemporary art scene. Curious about everything and driven by a strong desire to explore the world, the artist shapes material and color, always in collaboration with local artisans, wherever he may be. A way to...see the art and craftsmanship that led him in the early 2000s to create in his hometown the Miam, the International Museum of Modest Arts.
Hervé Di Rosa, March 2025, Mucem © Julie Cohen / Mucem
In his new exhibition Hervé Di Rosa, A Family Resemblance, the Mucem invites the artist to select pieces from the venue's collections to create complementary works around them. In total, nearly 190 pieces are displayed within a fluid and free scenography, featuring 120 objects from the Mucem and around sixty works presented by Hervé Di Rosa, alongside numerous figurines from his personal collection and beautifully carved and painted wooden hunting calls made by his father, Marius Di Rosa.
190 Works in Harmony
The artistic journey is divided into about fifteen clusters, each telling a complete story that is open to 1,001 different interpretations. Among the installations, you'll find three panels...x sculpted – created on the high plateaus of Adamaoua, in western Cameroon – alongside a fairground carousel shaped like a fish ; a ladder made from yokes of oxen collected in the regions of France by the museum's ethnographers, jostling with a cow made of painted resin by Hervé Di Rosa ; or even a long hunting rifle almost 4 meters long displayed within a cloud of carved wooden birds.
Hervé Di Rosa, March 2025, Mucem © Julie Cohen / Mucem
But of course, that's not all! For this exceptional exhibition in the city of Marseille, Hervé Di Rosa has also created works depicting Marseille and its residents, reminiscent of the familiar landscapes of Sète. The people of Marseille are showcased right at the entrance, brought to life in a large 7-meter high papier-mâché sculpture, as well as throughout the exhibit on a massive painted canvas and in a series of 4-by-3 meter metal cutouts, a tribute to Rudy Ricciotti, the architect of the J4 building at Mucem.
So, you’ll understand that between monumental works, poetic journeys, and pop colors, this exhibition is all about brightening up the spring and summer in Marseille as it should be!
Hervé Di Rosa, A Family Resemblance
Mucem
1, esplanade J4 – Marseille 2nd
From March 12 to September 1, 2025
More info and tickets
