Art-o-rama 2025 to Pay Homage to Marseille Roots

Spotlight Art-o-rama, the Sun-Kissed Darling of Europe’s Art Fairs Misong Kim

Boutique fair Art-o-rama is this year focusing more intently on its domestic ties, with an increased French presence in its list of participants. But even with greater representation from its home country, the fair looks to be a far-reaching and diverse endeavour, with 65 exhibitors from 14 countries and the majority of works created especially for this presentation.

Now in its 19th year, Art-o-rama is returning to its long-time home of La Friche la Belle de Mai art centre in Marseille from 29 to 31 August 2025.

The main Galleries section continues to boast a strong international presence, with visitors from across Europe and the United Kingdom: Barcelona (Bombon Projects, Chiquita Room, Dilalica); Berlin (Dittrich & Schlechtriem); Budapest (Longtermhandstand); Copenhagen (aaaa nordhavn); London (Alice Amati, NEVEN, Season 4 Episode 6, Soup); and Vienna (Alexandra Toth, Sophie Tappeiner).

Others are visiting from Chicago (M. LeBlanc, MICKEY); Los Angeles (Giovanni’s Room); and Shanghai (Vacancy).

The Marseille fair is strengthening its domestic ties by increasing French presence in the Design and Edition sections, where more than half of the participants have places in Marseille and Paris. Marseille-based participants include design studios Atelier Mare; Fond de dotation Maison Mode Méditerranée; Marseille Design Méditerranée; Michel Bresson; Moodoïd; Mimo Studio, and Studio Payet & Studio Rose in collaboration with Cosa Buena.

‘Over the past few years, the city has become increasingly attractive. More and more creators, artists and designers are living and working in Marseille. We’re delighted that this is reflected in our selection,’ said Jérôme Pantalacci, Director of Art-o-rama.

The fair’s online platform, Immaterial Salon, will showcase video and sound-based works, including creations by Emilia Wang (Romance, Pittsburgh), Kialy Tihngang (Soup, London), and Juli Susin and Mirron Mitzkewich (ROYAL BOOK LODGE, Montreuil).

Since it launched in 2007, Art-o-rama has built a reputation among young galleries and artists for offering an accessible platform against the scenic backdrop of the Mediterranean. Mazzy-Mae Green, director of Sherbert Green, an East London gallery that opened its doors in 2022, echoed this in a conversation with Ocula last year.

‘It was a fair that seemed to genuinely be interested in supporting young artists to do interesting projects,’ Green said.

Art-o-rama 2025 will continue this through its prestigious Prix Région Sud awards and Showroom selections. Winners of last year’s Prix Région Sud, artist Cassandra Naigre and designer Zoé Saudrais, are due to present their latest work in dedicated areas.

While the fair looks to the future of contemporary art and design, it is reflecting on its past with a tribute to Roger Pailhas, the influential gallerist remembered for his innovative and radical gestures that placed Marseille on the international art scene. 

Pailhas opened his gallery in the port city in 1986, followed by an outpost in Paris in 1990. In 1996, he invited eight international galleries to exhibit in his 1,000-metres-squared space in Marseille’s Old Port, an event that became the annual ART DEALERS and carried on until his death in 2005.

‘We would like to pay tribute to him and dedicate this edition to him, in association with Gabrielle Bryers, Roger’s long-standing partner in crime and New York gallerist, who introduced him to Leo Castelli, among others, to whom she was a close friend,’ Pantalacci said.

At La Friche la Belle de Mai, eight galleries that have previously participated in ART DEALERS will present works in a dedicated booth. These include Air de Paris (Romainville, Grand Paris); Art Concept (Paris), Esther Schipper, and Galleria Continua.

‘Roger Pailhas would certainly be very happy and proud to see his city so attractive and dynamic for international creation, and to know that new galleries such as Double V, Spiaggia Libera, and Sissi Club, and publishers such as Tchikebe, are continuing along the path he set out to make Marseille shine on the international scene,’ said Pantalacci. —[O]

Main image: Art-o-rama, Marseille (30 August–1 September 2024). Courtesy Art-o-rama. Photo: © Margot Montigny.