08.02.2023 - 08.05.2023

Alexandria: Past Futures, an exhibition of nearly 200 artefacts from major European museum collections and displaying seven teen contemporary art works woven into historical works, highlights one of the greatest cities of the ancient Mediterranean at the peak of its cultural influence.

After having been shown in BOZAR, Brussels, the exhibition traveled to MUCEM, Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations in Marseille.

The design concept is based upon the reuse of the existing scenography of previous exhibitions. The scenography installed in MUCEM's open-plan exhibition hall is adapted to the curatorial themes of the show by treating the exhibition design, which has already been adapted twice, as an archaeological site, much like the city of Alexandria. Removable walls without vitrines are dismantled and three new straight walls are installed in the hall. Existing vitrines house artefacts or are converted into lightboxes for reproductions. Pedestals and free-standing vitrines created for the BOZAR exhibition are transported to MUCEM and positioned amongst the existing displays, reflecting the city's contemporary additions. The displays are rendered in shades of blue, green and yellow, referencing a dreamlike description of the city written by Lawrence Durrell in the Alexandria Quartet (1957–1960). This colour concept repeats the aesthetic of BOZAR, connecting the two exhibitions, despite their entirely different interiors in Brussels and Marseille.

Client: MUCEM, Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations
Location: MUCEM, Marseille / FR
Curatorial team: Arnaud Quertinmont and Nicolas Amoroso for the historical part, Edwin Nassr and Sarah Rifky for the contemporary art works
MUCEM project team: Laetitia Olivier, Flavie Jauffret-Colleter, Enguerrand Lascols
Execution: MUCEM led by Valerie Decombas & BAREM
Lighting: Benoit Deseille
Graphic design: Sara De Bondt
Art handling: MUCEM
Assistant: Maxime Descheemaecker
Photography: MUCEM © François Deladerrière

The exhibition is a co-production with BOZAR, Brussels.