La Criée

La Criée
Earth777 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	La Criée
Established	1986
Location	Marseille, France
Type	Contemporary art center

La Criée is a contemporary art center located in Marseille, France, housed in a former fish market converted into an exhibition venue. The institution functions as a platform for contemporary visual arts, performance, and curatorial experimentation, engaging with local and international artists, curators, and cultural organizations. It occupies a notable position within Marseille’s cultural landscape, interacting with institutions such as the Musée d'Histoire de Marseille, FRAC Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Mucem, and regional galleries.

History

The building traces its origins to Marseille’s maritime and commercial history, originally serving as a fish market near the Old Port, connected to urban developments tied to the Second French Empire, the Third Republic, and local municipal reforms. In the late 20th century, urban regeneration efforts influenced by actors such as the European Union funding frameworks and policies seen in projects like the European Capital of Culture initiatives encouraged adaptive reuse of industrial heritage. Conversion into an art center followed precedents set by adaptive projects such as the Tate Modern conversion of the Bankside Power Station and the transformation of the Pompidou Centre in Paris, underlining debates about reuse of industrial spaces in contemporary art contexts.

La Criée opened in 1986 as part of a broader decentralization of cultural provision in France, paralleling developments involving the Ministry of Culture (France), regional arts funds, and networks including the Réseau des Centres d'art contemporain. Over subsequent decades it hosted exhibitions and projects co-produced with institutions like Centre Pompidou, Palais de Tokyo, Villa Médicis, La Gaîté Lyrique, and artist-run initiatives linked to figures such as Daniel Buren and Sophie Calle, reflecting shifts in curatorial practice and cultural policy during the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Architecture and design

The structure retains architectural traces of its original industrial function, with large open halls, vaulted roofs, and utilitarian materials. Its redesign for cultural use referenced conservation approaches exemplified by projects like the Port of Marseille redevelopment and comparable conversions such as the Louvre-Lens project. Architectural interventions sought to reconcile preservation of 19th- and 20th-century fabric with contemporary exhibition requirements, echoing principles used in restorations overseen by agencies like the Direction régionale des affaires culturelles and design bureaux influenced by practitioners from the École des Beaux-Arts lineage.

Interior adaptations included climate control, lighting rigs, and flexible partition systems to accommodate practices ranging from installation art to performance, similar to technical solutions deployed at venues like Serpentine Galleries and Documenta infrastructures. Site-specific commissions often utilized the building’s volumetry and materiality, producing dialogues with regional maritime iconography and urban narratives associated with the Vieux-Port and adjacent neighborhoods.

Collections and exhibitions

While primarily a non-collecting exhibition center, La Criée has presented retrospectives, solo shows, and group exhibitions featuring artists and movements connected to institutions such as Centre Pompidou-Metz, Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, Fondation Louis Vuitton, and international biennials including the Venice Biennale and the Documenta Kassel. Programming has included work by contemporary practitioners linked to networks with the ACAVA, the Rijksakademie, and the Whitney Museum of American Art exchanges, alongside regional artists associated with Marseille’s artistic scene.

Exhibitions have interrogated themes resonant with port cities and Mediterranean networks, bringing into conversation artists from the Maghreb, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southern Europe, and diasporic communities connected to Marseille’s multicultural fabric. Collaborations with curators and critics from institutions such as ICA London, Kunsthalle Basel, and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam expanded the center’s international profile and its role in commissioning new work.

Programs and education

La Criée runs public programs, workshops, and mediation activities designed for diverse audiences, partnering with local educational institutions like Aix-Marseille Université, regional conservatories, and secondary schools under frameworks similar to those used by the Réseau Canopé and municipal cultural services. Artist residencies and production support have been organized in concert with artist-run spaces and production platforms resembling the Cité internationale des arts model.

Educational initiatives integrate curatorial visits, pedagogical kits, and participatory projects in collaboration with community organizations, social services, and cultural mediators linked to agencies such as the DRAC Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Public programming often aligns with citywide events including the Nuit Blanche and festival circuits like Les Rencontres d'Arles.

Conservation and research

Conservation efforts at La Criée focus on maintaining the integrity of site-specific works and ephemeral media, drawing on methodologies practiced at institutions like the Conservation Center for Contemporary Arts and research labs associated with universities such as Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. The center engages in provenance research, cataloguing of temporary exhibitions, and collaborations with research networks involved in contemporary art historiography, mirroring partnerships found between museums and academic departments at establishments like the École du Louvre.

Research projects have examined urban cultural policy, maritime heritage, and the role of art centers in sociocultural transformation, contributing to conferences and publications alongside partners like the Institut d'études politiques de Paris and regional archives.

Visitor information

La Criée is located near Marseille’s Vieux-Port transport hubs, accessible via public transit connections including networks managed by RTM (Régie des transports de Marseille). Visitor facilities typically include exhibition spaces, an information desk, and occasional bookshop or catalogue sales produced in partnership with publishers akin to Les presses du réel and Éditions du Centre Pompidou. Opening hours, admission conditions, and accessibility services are announced seasonally and coordinated with municipal tourism agencies such as Marseille Provence Tourisme.

Category:Contemporary art centres in France