ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Marseille's MAC Museum Rejuvenates with New Leadership, Collection Focus, and Contemporary Exhibitions

institutional · 2026-04-12

Under the leadership of Stéphanie Airaud, who took on the role in 2023, the Musée d'Art Contemporain de Marseille, referred to as [mac], has undergone significant revitalization. Established in the early 1990s by Bernard Blistène and Philippe Vergne, the museum faced challenges during the 2000s. Airaud's improvements feature a new rooftop terrace and enhanced storage solutions, while also tackling the collection's gender disparity, which previously included only 8% women artists. The museum boasts around one thousand artworks from notable figures such as César, Arman, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Since April 4, 2026, the Adiaf association has showcased nearly 140 contemporary works at [mac]. An upcoming exhibition by Louisa Babari, focusing on the Babari tribe, is set to open on May 15, 2026, emphasizing collaboration and accessibility.

Key facts

  • Stéphanie Airaud became director of [mac] in 2023
  • The museum's collection contains about 1,000 works
  • Only 8% of artists in the collection were women before Airaud's arrival
  • The Adiaf triennial "De leur temps" runs from April 4 to September 20, 2026
  • Louisa Babari's exhibition opens May 15, 2026
  • The museum inherited its collection from Musée Cantini
  • The [mac]room hosted "Vivre en plusieurs langues" until April 5, 2026
  • Physical renovations included a new rooftop terrace and improved reserves

Entities

Artists

Institutions

Locations

  • Marseille
  • France
  • Algiers
  • Algeria
  • Aurès
  • Zurich
  • Switzerland

Sources