While on residency in Marseille, photographer Lucille Martin will develop her project Phantom Histories, which examines the genealogies and cross-cultural practices that link Marseille, the African diaspora and Australia. This project is underpinned by Martin’s search for her own French ancestry, which was annulled as an adopted child growing up in Australia. Martin’s residency project will reconnect personal and collective heritages and critical genealogies to past colonial processes that have structured the Atlantic world, starting in Marseille. 

Martin’s residency inaugurates a new exchange partnership between PICA, La Friche la Belle de Mai (Marseille) and the French Embassy, Australia. La Friche is located in a former tobacco factory that has been radically transformed into a hub for art, community engagement and environmental stewardship. Lucille will be hosted by independent photobook publisher Le Bec en l’air at La Friche.