Announced by the President of the Republic in June 2023, the Mediterranean Season 2026 aims to celebrate, from May 15 to October 31, the creativity and plural identities of both shores. Before the official opening, Marseille will lift the curtain as early as March 18 at the Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean (Mucem) with “Good Mothers.” A manifest, artistic, and political exhibition that places motherhood at the heart of the Mediterranean narrative.
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Marseille launches the Mediterranean Season 2026 with the exhibition "Good Mothers"
22-med – February 2026
• At Mucem, "Good Mothers" opens on March 18 as part of a Mediterranean Season 2026 conceived as a dialogue between the two shores, from May 15 to October 31.
• With nearly 350 works, the exhibition connects ancient myths and contemporary experiences to make motherhood an artistic, social, and political subject at the heart of the Mediterranean narrative.
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The ambitious goal of the Mediterranean Season is to foster dialogue among artists, thinkers, and civil societies around five major themes, including plural identities and the collective history of migrations. Implemented by the Institut français, it involves four partner countries: Lebanon, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, with a stated desire for sustainable cooperation. For Nadia Hai, ministerial delegate for the Mediterranean, it is a “crazy bet”: to build “sustainable partnerships and projects that benefit all Mediterranean populations.” The challenge goes beyond mere cultural programming. It is about reweaving connections in a space marked by geopolitical, climatic, and social crises. In this context, the Phocaean city asserts itself as a natural crossroads. “We are going to put Marseille back at the heart of the cultural map of France and Europe,” asserts Pierre-Olivier Costa, president of Mucem.
Opening at Mucem: “Good Mothers”
While the official inauguration is scheduled for May 15, the Mucem will host the exhibition “Good Mothers” starting March 18. For the people of Marseille, the nod to the Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, which overlooks the city, is obvious as they affectionately call it “the Good Mother.” But the plural title opens up other perspectives. It is no longer just about a single, unique, protective figure, but a constellation of Mediterranean mothers, multiple, contradictory, and real. “We wanted to talk about motherhood, about what a mom is,” explains Pierre-Olivier Costa. “To pay tribute to our mothers, but also to address themes that are rarely discussed and are important. We wanted a sunny exhibition. We also wanted a militant exhibition.” Entrusted to two curators, Caroline Chenu (Mucem) and the essayist and activist for women’s rights Anne-Cécile Mailfert, the exhibition takes a clear stance: “to place women and mothers at the center of the narrative based on their real experiences, their lived realities.”
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