Jérôme Pantalacci ©saywho saymika
We met Jérôme Pantalacci, director of Art-o-rama, a contemporary art fair based in Marseille, produced by Fræme in co-production with La Friche la Belle de Mai. Since its creation in 2007, Jérôme Pantalacci has shaped this event, which has established itself today as a must-see for galleries and emerging artists, both on the local and international scene. Art-o-rama has become a major reference in France and Southern Europe, a strategic highlight of the artistic season, recognized for its demanding selection, its support for young galleries, and its strong Mediterranean roots.
The 19th edition of the fair, which will take place from August 29 to 31, 2025, will feature a brand new section dedicated to contemporary design and publishing. It will also feature an online Salon Immatériel, offering free screenings and conversations throughout the event.
Hello Jérôme Pantalacci. For nearly twenty years, you've been running Art-o-rama, an event that has become a must-attend event for galleries and emerging artists. How would you describe the fair's evolution since its creation in 2007?
Hello, I would say that the foundations were already in place from the first edition. We immediately had young international galleries, who presented new productions around curatorial projects. We also invited and produced a young artist from the region, in this case in 2007 two artists, because Olivier Millagou invited Arnaud Maguet and they developed a project as a duo. Then things happened over time, some of the galleries that participated disappeared, and others became established and prominent galleries. Of the first edition, which had five galleries, four no longer exist. Some of the gallerists are now directors in important galleries. Only one still exists, PratsNoguerasBlanchard, which was still NoguerasBlanchard in 2007, and which is now one of the most important Spanish galleries. Over the years, we have acquired this identity as a springboard for young galleries. It's exciting to see the evolution of the galleries participating in Art-o-rama. At first, it was mainly generational. We gravitated toward galleries our age. Now I'm older, but I still have the same interest. What also attracts young galleries, beyond Art-o-rama's identity, also comes from the curatorial dimension of the projects they can develop, which is accentuated by the exhibition freedom we offer. We truly adapt the stands to the projects, without this incurring any additional costs. We also maintain a very low pricing policy for exhibitors.
Art-o-rama is both rooted in the Mediterranean region and open to an international scene. How important is this dual grounding in your selection and programming?
Our geographical location naturally leads us to build relationships with the countries around us. Our proximity to Italy and Spain has led us to forge important ties with galleries, collectors, and institutions in these countries, which we continue to develop.
Beyond that, we are, of course, sensitive to the entire Mediterranean region. In recent years, we have established collaborations with the Istanbul and Athens fairs, which have not been continued following changes in management at these fairs. However, we would like to reactivate and expand these collaborations.
We also collaborate with the Barcelona Gallery Association, which organizes an annual prize for its members. This prize offers participation in Art-o-rama, all expenses covered. Barcelona is very dynamic, especially when it comes to young galleries. We also have a very good relationship with the Swab fair, of which I am a member of the selection committee.
But of course, even if our roots are Mediterranean, we want to open up to all territories.
This year, Europe, of course, from the north and east, the USA, but also Asia, with Vacancy, a gallery from Shanghai and Keijiban, a publisher from Kanazawa in Japan.
The emerging scene is at the heart of your curatorial approach. What criteria allow you to identify these new talents, and how do you support their development?
The criteria are highly subjective. But they are shared and discussed. For the selection, we have a committee made up of six people who are all very familiar with the international contemporary scene and have an interest in emerging talent. They are primarily gallery directors: Marie Madec of sans titre in Paris, Joana Roda of Bombon projects in Barcelona, Sophie Tappeiner, who has a gallery in Vienna, and Haynes Riley of the Good Weather gallery in Chicago. They are also Cédric Fauq, chief curator at the CAPC in Bordeaux, and Frédéric de Goldschmidt, a collector based in Brussels, who opened a space there, Cloud Seven. Each member is very up-to-date with current events, travels, and attends major events, fairs, and biennials, and is therefore able to have an opinion on the quality and relevance of the projects we receive. We then do our best to support the selected galleries in presenting their projects on the technical side without inflating costs.
Another program through which we are committed to supporting emerging artists is the Prix Région Sud. It now exists in Art and Design and highlights the work of young artists and designers from the South region - Provence, Alpes, Côte d'Azur. We invite curators, one in art and one in design, to make a selection from which a winner is then selected, who is invited the following year to show a new production that has been supported and financed. In addition, for the Art section, the artist benefits from the publication of a catalog and a 2-month residency at Moly-Sabata. This program aims to showcase and support the work of these young artists and designers in a commercial and professional context, something that rarely exists in France outside of Paris. This is all the more important as more and more artists and designers live and work in Marseille. Many young graduates are moving to the city, and it is important to have a local ecosystem that meets their needs.
The 19th edition features a new section dedicated to contemporary publishing and design. What are the reasons for this choice, and what can we expect from this new feature?
The Editions section was set up in 2016 because we were already welcoming a few publishers, whose economics are different from those of galleries and who needed different conditions. It's extremely important to offer affordable works. Even though the works shown at Art-o-rama are generally in a fairly affordable price range, as they are often projects by young artists, multiples allow for more democratized access. The opening to design happened quite naturally, precisely through publishers who offered functional objects designed by artists. There is, of course, a lot of porosity between contemporary art and contemporary design. So we wanted to offer a section dedicated to it. This year we will have a Marseille focus and will present around ten projects.
With the Salon Immatériel, Art-o-rama is incorporating a strong digital dimension. How do you envision the balance between the physical experience and online content in the future of the fair?
The Salon immatériel was born in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced us, like everyone else, to think about new projects. At that time, many Viewing Rooms were born, which are simply online catalogs. The idea behind the Salon immatériel is to offer works that are adapted to the digital format, which can be experienced online. We then suggested that galleries exhibit either textual or sound works. We then opened the platform to video, if it is designed to be viewed on all media, and does not require a specific installation. What we find on this platform is therefore not information about the work but the work itself. It's a niche, but many artists are interested in sound material or produce texts, which can be protocols to be activated, or poetic works.
Otherwise, on the Art-o-rama website itself, we have always dedicated a page to each exhibitor to provide information on the projects and works that will be physically exhibited. There are, of course, visuals, captions, and you can zoom in on the image for more details. Prices are sometimes indicated, depending on the wishes of the gallery, which can be easily contacted. This is the principle of the Viewing Room.
Finally, beyond your role as director, what is your personal relationship with contemporary art? Do you have a significant work or encounter related to Art-o-rama that particularly inspires you?
I started studying art history and became interested in contemporary art in high school, in the 10th grade. I continued with visual arts studies at university, and then I worked in a gallery in Marseille, the Roger Pailhas gallery, before founding Art-o-rama. So, for many years now, I have had a fairly strong interest in art, and more specifically contemporary art. I live with artists' projects and works on a daily basis. My relationship with art is ultimately quite natural and direct.
I have many memorable encounters and works, of course. But probably the moment that has marked me the most professionally is not linked to Art-o-rama, but to the second exhibition I worked on at the Roger Pailhas gallery, in 2002. It was actually four solo exhibitions by Bernard Bazile, Daniel Buren, Pierre Huyghe, and a young artist in the gallery's project room, Olivier Millagou. Olivier, who is now represented by the Sultana gallery, is a friend, and we have collaborated on several projects since.
And, the opportunity to meet, discuss, and be up close to the works and work of these three great, very different artists was very stimulating. And I told myself that it was so great, that I would make sure to continue working in contemporary art.
Art-o-rama is taking place this year in Marseille, from August 29 to 31, 2025, bringing together more than 60 galleries and publishers for this unmissable European event. Produced by Fræme, a resident association at La Friche la Belle de Mai, the event is part of a vast cultural journey spanning the southern region and beyond, connecting cities such as Monaco, Montpellier, Arles, Hyères, and Nice.
Nicolas Sarazin
| ArtMajeur Magazine