By Caroline Guiol © Marseille Museums - R. Chipault and B.Soligny

Infinitely Blue

Immersion in the heart of a color

Decorative arts, painting, fashion... Distributed across the collections of Marseille's museums, the exhibition, installed at Château Borély until next winter, tells the story of the journey of blue, from the 18th century to the present day.

Portrait of a Young Woman in Blue, by Pierre Bernard. 1769. Pastel on paper, mounted on canvas. Marseille, Museum of Fine Arts. © Musées de Marseille – C.Almodovar & M.Vialle
Judy Sanderson (Portugal), 2024-2026 Global Fashion Brand Scholarship / Maison Endowment Fund Laureate. Mediterranean Fashion. Graduate of Raffles International College Hong Kong Fashion Design. © Judy Sanderson.

This is the great news for spring: an inspiring thematic tour dedicated to blue, the universal color; the one that speaks most to the Mediterranean. For this unique stroll, the Museum of Decorative Arts has partnered with loans from the Grobet-Labadié and Fine Arts museums. Taken from the permanent collections, the works in focus dare to take every liberties, connections, and spaces: earthenware, painting, graphic arts, design, jewelry, fashion, the result is explosive! The "Blanc-Bleu" of Marseille and Moustiers recount the great hours of ceramics, local dynasties, Chinese, Portuguese, and Dutch inspiration. In the magnificence of the golden salon, evening gowns put on a show, from the 40s and 50s to the disco era. At 1er floor, the blue of the Enlightenment, its portraits, objects, outfits and accessories reveal the intimate and refined world of the 18th centurye century. Aesthetics span the ages. Beneath the vaults of the old chapel, a Loris Azzaro dress drapes a monastic scene. Chanel, Schiaparelli, Lanvin, Courrèges, Alaïa, Balenciaga unleash cuts and details in an inventory of everyday life. The tones are striking: petrol blue, cobalt, neon, pastel, and tangy pop. Turquoise, transcended by ceramist Théodore Deck, is an odyssey in itself. Before diving into the Galerie de la Mode, one of the highlights of the tour: for while the Borély collection boasts some 8 pieces, here it has chosen denim and the color "denim blue" to shake up the walls. In the joyful window displays, Popy Moreni and Fred Sathal introduce emerging designers, scholarship winners from the Maison Mode Méditerranée Endowment Fund. Bearers of memory, these builders of tomorrow, working in the service of a visionary, sustainable and committed fashion, dress us in style!

Château Borély, Museum of Decorative Arts, Earthenware and Fashion.

Until February 15, 2026. In mid-September, the exhibition scenography will offer a second part, around fashion pieces from its collection. Free entry

RECEIVE us

Are you on the lookout for good addresses?
Discover subscription offers for your favorite magazine!

Previous
La Ciotat

Founded in 1987, Les Éditions COTE is the result of a family adventure spanning over 36 years. The magazines, dedicated to the art of living and luxury in Provence and the Côte d'Azur, showcase the region and its key players.