Attention all contemporary art lovers: a vitamin shot is taking over the Mucem for the beautiful days in Marseille, with a new exhibition celebrating the works of Sète-born artist and painter Hervé Di Rosa. A journey as colorful as it is poetic, guiding us through a selection of pieces from the Mucem collection blended with creations by Di Rosa. Come explore until September 1st!
A family vibe 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 brilliantly enhanced colors and materials throughout his artistic life, making a significant impact on the contemporary art scene. Curious about everything and driven by a lively desire to travel the world, the artist shapes materials and colors, always in collaboration with local artisans, no matter where he is.
A way to look at 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 its new exhibition Hervé Di Rosa, A Family Resemblance, the Mucem invites the artist to choose pieces from its collections to create complimentary works that resonate with 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 many figurines from his personal collection and wooden hunting calls carved and painted by his father, Marius Di Rosa.
190 Works in Harmony
The artistic journey is divided into about fifteen islets, each telling a complete story that can be interpreted in a thousand different ways. Among the installations, there are three panels, ...x sculpted – created in the high plateaus of Adamaoua, in western Cameroon – alongside a fairground carousel shaped like a fish ; a ladder made of yokes from oxen collected in regions of France by ethnographers from the museum, elbowing its way next to a painted resin cow by Hervé Di Rosa ; and a long hunting rifle nearly 4 meters long displayed in 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 Phocean city, 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 from the entrance, standing out on a large 7-meter high papier-mâché sculpture, as well as in the heart of the journey on a large painted canvas and in a series of metal cutouts measuring 4 by 3 meters, a tribute to Rudy Ricciotti, the architect of the J4 building of the Mucem.
You’ve got it, amidst monumental works, poetic journeys, and pop colors, this exhibition aims to brighten up both spring and summer in Marseille just as it should!
Hervé Di Rosa, A Family Resemblance
Mucem
1, esplanade J4 – Marseille 2nd
From March 12 to September 1, 2025
More info and tickets
