Connectivities, Exhibition, Mucem, Marseille: 29 November 2017-29 November 2019

Connectivities is two exhibitions in one. The first examines six cities of the 16th and 17th-century Mediterraneans, split between the Habsburg empire in the west and Ottoman empire in the east. The second focuses on Cairo, Istanbul, Marseille and Casablanca: the four “metropolises” of the modern Mediterranean.

These maritime settlements, Connectivities tells us, were central to the emergence of modern civilization, including our understanding of east versus west. The first section consists of historical objects from European museums, as well as Mucem’s own. The early Mediterranean cities saw the beginnings of the globalization and colonialism so familiar to us today, driven especially by the conflicts between the two empires dominating the sea at that time. By exploring also modern Mediterranean cities, the exhibition aims to shine a light on urban life, which for billions of people is becoming their everyday reality.

The curators are trying hard to move exhibitions away from “historical events”, instead exploring the long-term evolution of societies and the relationships between groups within those societies. Connectivities is all the more interesting for this approach. It also explores the different responses to population growth between Marseille and the eastern megacities of Cairo and Istanbul: while Marseille has worked to carefully manage its growth by planning and improving infrastructure, Cairo and Istanbul have exploded almost without limit. You will leave Connectivities with a new eye for the city you’re visiting, its role in history, and the nature of its whole space.

MuCEM (Musée des Civilisations de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée)

7 Prom. Robert Laffont, 13002 Marseille