Thesis defence - Léa Battais: «Representing and using urban spaces in art: fragments of the histories of subalterns in the Mediterranean from 1960 to the present day».»

Thursday 18 December 2025 | from 2pm | Frac Sud - Cité de l'art contemporain (20 boulevard de Dunkerque, 13002 Marseille)

We are pleased to inform you that the thesis defence of Léa Battaisentitled «Representing and using urban spaces in art: fragments of subaltern histories in the Mediterranean from 1960 to the present day».», will be held on Thursday 18 December 2025, from 2pm, at the Frac Sud - Cité de l'art contemporain (20 boulevard de Dunkerque, 13002 Marseille).

Summary:

This thesis examines the uses and representations of urban spaces in Mediterranean art since the 1960s. Through an analysis of their forms, their mutations and the ideologies and discourses that underpin them, the works studied reveal mechanisms of power and domination at different scales (international, infra-imperial or sub-national) inscribed in the urban dimension.

Rooted in a variety of historical, political, socio-cultural, economic and geographical contexts, this research offers a non-exhaustive repertoire of artistic practices in which subaltern narratives, historical fragments inscribed in urban spaces and conflicting narratives emerge in the Mediterranean, at odds with the hegemonic public discourses of the North or with national novels.

The multi-dimensional reading of urban spaces (landscape, functionality, social and everyday space) brings to light an artistic corpus and very diverse contexts of creation and production, conducive to a comparative reading between typologies of works, spaces and themes. This approach, based on interviews with the artists, case studies and a participatory field study, makes it possible to identify the objectives, circumstances and developments (formal, ethical and conceptual) that have led artists to analyse or invest in the urban dimension.

Key words : art and urban spaces, the Mediterranean, urban criticism, representations.

Composition of the jury :

• Paula Barreiro-Lopez, University of Toulouse 2 - Jean Jaurès (Chair, rapporteur)
• Éric Villagordo, Professeur des universités Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3 (Rapporteur)
• Marine Schütz, Professor, Université de Picardie Jules Verne (Examiner)
• Muriel Enjalran, Director of the Fond Régional d'Art Contemporain (Frac) Sud, Cité de l'art contemporain, Marseille (Guest)
• Sylvia Girel, University Professor, Aix Marseille University, MESOPOLHIS (Co-director)
• Pierre Pinchon, University Professor, Aix Marseille University, Telemme (Co-director)