2023 · Les Ruches · Marseille 13th · October and November 2023
la galerie des ruches
October 2023November 2023
As the demolition of the Petit Séminaire comes to an end, the children and teenagers of Les Ruches photograph, map and tell the story of their neighborhood, then draw the one of tomorrow.
with the Maison pour tous de La Maurelle et des Bougainvilliers, a community center
les ruches
“Here, it’s magnificent, fabulous and… perilous!”
In October 2023, with the Maison pour tous de La Maurelle, the children and teenagers of Les Ruches (“the beehives”) told the story of their neighborhood, perched above the former Petit Séminaire: six blocks of buildings, the garden where flowers, vegetables and fruit are planted, the fighting roosters, the dog, the mascot, and above it all a huge construction crane.
Their photos speak of neighbors, boxing, soccer, the shops at the center, and the trash they would like to see replaced by flowers.
You can see the neighborhood in the distance, the construction work, the crane, and a bit of the demolished Petit Séminaire.
film photographthe map
On their map, they traced the path to the Maison pour tous: take the slope, then the stairs, walk on the boards and on the stones to avoid the sewer water. Between the yellow buildings, the parking lot; behind, the vegetable garden and its planters of peppers, chilies and mint; below, the former Petit Séminaire; on the right, in red, the construction site of the fire station, where there used to be a sports field.
Our Ruches are 6 blocks of buildings: C1, C2, D1, D2, D3, D4.
It’s a 13th arrondissement like no other.
There used to be a field over there where we loved to play.
collective mapping, markers, paint and collage
the images
Three rooms, like three walls: the neighborhood seen from below and from above, the people who live in it, then the center, boxing and the shops. Each image has its title and its words, written by whoever took it.
the neighborhood
The buildings, the neighbors’ windows, sneakers on a wire, the stone path to avoid the sewers.
I’ve lived here for 14 years and there are 6 blocks.
film photograph
This is D4, the ground floor.
film photograph
Behind these windows are my neighbors, people I know who are very kind.
film photograph
We’re the ones who hung these shoes up there one day.
film photograph
Trash piled up at the bottom of the neighborhood.
film photograph
View of one of the upper Ruches buildings from the former Petit Séminaire. The grass is full of trash. It’s sad.
film photograph
The muddy path makes getting to the neighborhood very difficult.
film photograph
A path of stones so residents don’t have to walk over the sewers.
film photographthe people
Louhiba visiting her grandmother, Ayoub and the fighting rooster, Kheira, a golden grandma, la familia.
Portrait of Louhiba, who comes to Les Ruches to see her grandmother.
film photograph
A fighting cock in the neighborhood.
film photograph
A selfie with a disposable camera.
film photograph
A grandmother of 9 grandchildren.
film photograph
Portrait of two young people out for a walk.
film photograph
That’s Anass in front of some tomatoes and lettuces.
film photograph
Three portraits of kids from Les Ruches: Mohamed, Ayoub and Anass. Our favorite activity: soccer.
film photograph
Moulay, Hakim, Aurélien, Imrane and Stéphane.
film photograph
The three of us at a table. We’re writing a speech.
film photograph
We were proud of our work.
film photograph
Jade poses in front of the garden beds.
film photograph
Stéphane is our youth worker; we play games and do activities with him. Behind him is block C2.
film photographthe center, boxing, the shops
The shopping center, the grocery store, the barber, and the boxing gloves.
Our place to live and to remember <3
film photograph
We’re always hungry, and they always have stuff to sell!
film photograph
Cheap, and a good result. Nothing better nearby.
film photograph
Close to the center, we always come here to get food.
film photograph
We let off steam doing something we’re learning to master.
film photograph
We have contests to see who can throw the most punches.
film photograph
Inspired by our favorite actor, Michael B. Jordan.
film photograph50 years
Time goes by, and the walls keep the colors the children put on them.
Time goes by, and I’m going by too, because I’ve lived here for 50 years.
film photograph
It’s a painting between C1 and D4. We repainted the walls because it brings them back to life.
film photograph
These are signs painted by children, with real places and imaginary ones. You can use them to find the important places.
film photographthe large prints
The large prints and the photographs of the collage, prepared for the exhibition.
drawing on the photos
On black-and-white prints, the children drew and pasted what they would like to see: flowers behind the buildings, repainted façades, more color, a skatepark, a pétanque court. The neighborhood of the future starts on the photo of today’s neighborhood.
We’d like flowers behind the buildings instead of trash.
drawing and collage on a photograph
I want the neighborhood to be renovated, because I want white and gray paint in Les Ruches and games for us.
drawing and collage on a photograph
It would be really nice to repaint the facades.
drawing and collage on a photograph
To add more color to the neighborhood.
drawing and collage on a photograph
A skate park for us.
drawing and collage on a photograph
A pétanque court in the neighborhood.
drawing and collage on a photographthe map of the future
This map shows the future Les Ruches: the ice cream truck is back, a sports field instead of the parking lot, a small pool and a barbecue corner in the gardens, fruit trees everywhere and, in place of the Petit Séminaire, a big park, “very beautiful and very clean,” full of poppies, daisies and roses.
collective mapping, markers, paint and collage
the gallery, hung here
In 2023, hanging the show in the estate was not allowed. The panels were ready. Here they are, hung for the first time, here.
The introduction and the map of the neighborhood, the panels of titled, captioned photographs, two panels of wishes drawn on the photos, the collage and the map of the future: la galerie des ruches, as it was meant to be shown at the foot of the buildings.
the panels, one by one
the voices
The audio pieces prepared for the exhibition: the children interview their neighbors.
project details
la galerie des ruches
As the demolition of the Petit Séminaire comes to an end, the children and teenagers of Les Ruches photograph, map and tell the story of their neighborhood, then draw the one of tomorrow.
- when
- October and November 2023
- where
- Les Ruches, Marseille 13th
- partners
- Maison pour tous de La Maurelle et des Bougainvilliers
- with
- Abdallah, Anass, Aurélien, Ayoub, Chérif, Danil, Hakim, Imran, Inès, Issa, Jade, Justine, Kamila, Khemissa, Kheira, Kitam, Louhiba, Marwan, Mohamed, Moro, Mouadh, Moulay, Myriam, Najib, Nola, Patricia, Safirh, Zakaria
- mediums
- photography, map of the future, drawing on photos, sound
- public presentation
- The panels of “la galerie des ruches” and audio pieces; hanging them in the estate was not allowed in 2023. They are shown in full on this site.
- credits
- Photographs, maps, drawings, captions and sound: the children and teenagers of Les Ruches, with the mOst team.
next project · 2024
la vie aux ruches →