In partnership with the French shipping company MARFRET and the Musée national de la Marine.
As France prepares to host the United Nations Conference on the Ocean in 2025, Villa Albertine will offer artists and writers passionate about the sea the opportunity to join the crew of the MARIUS, a 195-meter container ship connecting mainland France to French territories in the Pacific via the United States.

During their journey, selected artists or writers will develop an original creative reflection on the contemporary world, thereby making the importance of maritime issues in our daily lives more visible and tangible, while enriching the ties between France and the United States.
This program is part of Villa Albertine’s commitment to fostering creation related to “grands espaces” and questions about life.
An intellectual and artistic research experience aboard a container ship
Following the success of the very first edition of Villa Albertine’s maritime residencies in 2023/2024, the MARIUS will successively host three artists or writers in 2025.

On the outbound journey, the MARIUS will travel from Le Havre, France to Papeete and Nouméa in the Pacific, passing through the United States (New York), Jamaica (Kingston), and the Panama Canal over the course of five weeks. On the return journey, the ship will travel from Papeete and Nouméa back to Le Havre via Australia, New Zealand, Panama, the United States (Philadelphia), and the northern ports of Europe, in seven weeks.

Open from October 2 to November 12, 2024, the call for applications is for creators from all disciplines who wish to undertake an exploratory residency, as part of the crew of the MARIUS between March and October 2025. This maritime residency is open to creators from mainland France and French overseas territories as well as artists residing in the United States. The operational management of the maritime residencies is provided by MARFRET, while the artistic direction is overseen by Villa Albertine; the modalities for sharing the experience will be discussed with the Musée national de la Marine.

Conditions of Staying Aboard the MARIUS
The immersion can last several days or weeks, depending on the preferences expressed by the resident. The maximum duration of the residency is six weeks.
As part of their application, candidates will be asked to identify navigation segments in accordance with the container ship’s sailing routes, ranking them in order of preference.
Two to three days prior to boarding, candidates will be invited to a MARFRET agency on land, in France or the United States, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the maritime transport sector.
This residency format has specific constraints that all candidates should read carefully (see below).

Support from Villa Albertine and MARFRET

Villa Albertine and Marfret will jointly cover the following costs related to the residency:

Port stay – A two – three night stay will be organized for the resident at one of the ports of call on the voyage. During this stay, the resident will discover the daily operations, work, and logistics involved at a port. The resident’s transport, accommodations, and meals will be covered during this stay.
On-board stay – On-board living costs will be covered (including accommodation in an individual cabin with a private bathroom, meals, and appropriate clothing on loan).
Inland travel and stays directly before and after the on-board residency, with the following costs are covered:
Inland travel to ports, where necessary;Accommodation at arrival and/or departure, depending on the voyage segment in question, and for a maximum duration of 3 to 7 days; Daily allowance for trips to the United States or Polynesia to cover living costs in the territory in question (including meals, telephone and bank charges, etc.), as well as visa fees; Health, civil liability, and repatriation insurance.

For example, a resident completing an on-board residency between Le Havre and New York would have the following costs covered: transport from their place of residence to the port of Le Havre, accommodation and meals in Le Havre during the two-day port stay in preparation for their residency, their stay aboard the Marius following boarding at Le Havre, their stay in New York for several days upon arrival, and return transport to their usual place of residence.

Neither Villa Albertine nor Marfret shall cover any expenses other than the travel and living costs mentioned above.
The resident must comply with each country’s customs obligations upon any and all disembarkations.

IMPORTANT: If the resident is disembarking in the United States, an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) will not be sufficient. The resident must complete the necessary procedures to obtain a B1 or B1/B2 visa. Villa Albertine will provide the supporting documents needed to complete a visa application file. Alternatively, an ESTA will be sufficient if the resident is boarding in the United States.