No false modesty

Centre Régional de la Mediterranée: one of the future project in Marseille [copyright: Stefano Boeri]

Marseille's ebullient mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin kicked off by announcing that any previous alarms had now been dissipated, and that “there are no political rivalries in this affair!” Assenting smiles and nods from the eight-member panel of speakers confirmed the mood of sunny optimism, in stark contrast to the rumours and rumblings of the preceding weeks.

Regional cities, such as Toulon and Aix-en-Provence, had been threatening to pull out of the extravaganza, taking their considerable financial contributions with them.

Both were reportedly unhappy with Marseille's overriding role in the celebrations. Toulon did, in fact, downgrade its role from full member to associate member, a decision that reduced its financial participation from 7.3 million euros to just one million.

Meanwhile, Aix was not just concerned about Marseille stealing the limelight, its mayor Maryse Joissans was outraged that the future seat of the Aix-Marseille University hub (resulting from the fusion of the three existing universities) is going to be established in Marseille.

The decision was unrelated to Marseille-Provence 2013, but she used one to influence the other. She declared Aix was happy to participate in the celebrations, to which it will contribute an estimated 7.5 million euros, but only if it is not going to be “ransacked” or used “as a stepping-stone”.

Several emergency meetings later, she was appeased by the promise that Aix would be the headquarters of the new mega-university's Research and Higher Education Centre.

And so it was an Aix mayor wreathed in smiles who sat waiting her turn to speak. But first, Jacques Pfister, president of the Marseille-Provence Chamber of Commerce and Industry and president of the Marseille-Provence 2013 association stated that “today, on the feast day of Saint Modeste, I've decided we will not be [modest]. So I say without modesty, 2013 will not be a success; it will be a triumph!”

Every speaker followed his lead. Eugène Caselli, president of Marseille-Provence Metropolitan Urban Community, claimed that the Quai des Belges on the Vieux Port will be transformed into one of Europe's largest pedestrian districts. Hervé Schiavetti, mayor of Arles, waxed lyrical on his town's magnificent new International Centre of Photography and Imagery, designed by Frank Gehry, before ceding the floor to Maryse Joissans.

She began by saying that “there was never any question of Aix not participating... There were just a few small problems to solve!” She then went on to reiterate that “Aix intends to make its voice heard by its regional partners” and that with its rich cultural heritage and institutions “Aix is the heart of Provence!”

Michel Vauzelle, president of the PACA (Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur) region then said: “There's nothing left to say, really. Aix is the capital of culture, Aix IS la Provence! If I were you in Marseille, I'd be a little worried!”

The final speaker was Bernard Latarjet, who was at the time the director of Marseille-Provence 2013 but who has since stepped down from the post. He warned journalists that what he was about to describe was simply a progress report on some of the 2,200 projects submitted. These will be whittled down to a final 500 by autumn 2012.

There will be more than 30 exhibitions, a new Circus Centre, a new hiking trail (the GR2013), concerts, dances, festivals, parades, four seasonal themes, under the year's main heading of ‘The Mediterranean: Sharing the South’ and 60 construction projects for cultural facilities.

The one tangible result of the conference was the unveiling of the official logo: three coloured circles and a diamond, which can be used vertically or horizontally, and as minimalist and modest a symbol as they come. Thomas Serrière, its designer, says “this logo is the DNA of the entire visual identity of the project.” No false modesty from start to finish, then. We look forward to the next phase which is publication of the pre-programme at the end of this year.

EL