LIMINALWATER Team Meeting in Marseille
Two Days of Exchange and Exploration
On March 19 and 20, thanks to the thoughtful organization of Giulia Buffoli and Pierre Sintès, the LIMINALWATER team came together in Marseille for its third in-person biannual meeting. Over the course of two full and engaging days, the group had the chance to reconnect, reflect on ongoing work, and map out the next steps for the months to come.
The meeting opened with a walking tour through L’Estaque, a small port area west of Marseille. Known both for its dynamic industrial past and its influence on modern art, L’Estaque offered a meaningful starting point for discussion. The tour was led by Samia Chabani from the Ancrages Association, whose work focuses on preserving and sharing the social and cultural histories of migration and colonialism in the region. Her insights helped situate the area within the broader historical and cultural layers of the city, highlighting why this place matters not only for Marseille, but also for LIMINALWATER.
The program continued at the MUCEMLab, where the team gathered around artistic and research contributions within the project. Oksana Chepelyk presented a selection of her recent works, co-funded by LIMINALWATER through the Aix-Marseille work package, opening a conversation on water, conflict, and eco-critical imaginaries, highlighting the entanglement of artistic practices with environmental and political questions. Sylvain Maestraggi followed with a presentation of his latest edition, Notes sur les rivières d’Athènes. Through photographic explorations of Athens’ waterways, his work reflects on how urban environments shape and are shaped by natural elements. The day also included screenings of two short films created by the young filmmakers within the TiLEM programme, which is envisioned as a way to reimagine the Mediterranean as a shared space between its two shores.
On the second day, the team met at the INAMA Laboratory at IMVT for a workshop focused on HUMAP, led by Tijana Koprivica and Jelena Lalatović. This session marked an important step toward developing the project’s digital platform: an interactive map that will bring together key locations, narratives, and project materials, enabling users to navigate stories and spaces through virtual, walkable journeys. Following this, Tea Perinčić introduced initial plans for the project’s exhibition, scheduled for March 2027 at the Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral in Rijeka. The team worked collectively to outline key objectives and directions, setting a clear foundation for the work ahead.
And while the days were intensive, there was still room for informal moments: shared meals, conversations, and a bit of Marseille’s early spring atmosphere, which proved just as valuable and rewarding as the productive formal sessions.
Author: Tijana Koprivica
Date: 30.3.2026
