Villa Méditerranée

marseille, france
1 March – 23 April 2016

The Mediterranean, which accounts for less than 1% of the world's ocean surface, is an extraordinary reserve of biodiversity. Alas, it is being subjected to enormous pressure from human activity and today contains the highest density of plastic in the world.

Faced with this environmental catastrophe, Villa Méditerranée Avitem wishes to raise awareness by hosting an eight-week exhibition “Out to Sea ? The Plastic Garbage Project” devised by the Museum für Gestaltung in Zurich. This firm commitment is one aspect of the Villa Méditerranée's general approach, in which the subjects of sustainable development and the consequences of climate change are regularly debated. Accordingly, throughout the year 2016, the Villa Méditerranée will continue its invitations and events to bring different perspectives to the key environmental issues affecting our region. To accompany this exhibition, the Villa Méditerranée plans to act as a forum for discussion and to give a voice to the researchers, associations, companies and unknowns who work and are committed every day to observing and looking after the quality of our water and ultimately protecting the sea.

The guiding aim of the Villa Méditerranée is to ensure a consistent approach to France's Mediterranean policy and to assert the role of the region of Provence Alpes-Côte d’Azur as a coordinator and agent in this policy. It is one of the key regions for hosting multilateral summits on Euro-Mediterranean cooperation from an economic and urban as well as cultural aspect. Its ambition is to become the place where French actors from development assistance, civil society and more importantly the youth sector, come to meet and work.
Officially opened in April 2013, the Villa Méditerranée joined the Public Interest Group AviTem (the agency for sustainable Mediterranean cities and regions), specialised in issues relating to urban planning and its impacts on the Mediterranean, in January 2015. Among its missions, the Villa Méditerranée is committed to the monitoring and analysis of the main challenges involved in inter-Mediterranean relations: economic and political exchanges, the impact of conflicts and socio-cultural and environmental phenomena.

Workshops, debates and screenings will be on the programme during the exhibition run.