Marseille: Where Weird is the New Black

I mentioned in my last post how much Marseille loves to attempt art but really just displays their weirdness.  Here are some photos of all the random over the years, in no particular order.

The time they shined pastel lights on the Castellane roundabout.  

They must have loved how that looked, because they did it a few years later on a bigger scale on the white church next to my apartment.

They love sticker art.  I've mentioned several times about the bunny invasion.

But there are also random people stickers.

My newest favorite is the English humor on the roundabout near Parc Longchamps.

Speaking of Parc Longchamps, let's talk about the Funny Zoo.  Whenever people get to talking about the Funny Zoo, inevitably, a newcomer will say, "Marseille has a zoo?!"  No.  It has a funny {zoo}.  Or better said, it has a bunch of brightly colored plastic animals in cages and fences.

They even put a hot pink dolphin in the fountain.  Seriously, someone looked at that gorgeous building and thought, "You know what would make this look even better?  Putting a hot pink plastic dolphin in the fountain."

Another hot pink random?  The giant high heel shoe on display at the Vieux Port.  

Then there was the time they put a giant grand piano on a raft, and had a woman dressed as an angel sing opera from it.

The Shade Maker Mirror at the Vieux Port is a cool (literally) idea, except for when the mirror reflects off the water and blinds you.  Otherwise, very cool.

Some of the things they do at the VP are cool, as the aforementioned time they set the place on fire on purpose.

And when they paraded sheep through it's streets.

But some ideas are not loved so much.  Like the giant plastic animals that were out there the whole year of 2013.  Someone painted over the camel that had beach clothes so that he was naked, poor thing.  This blue deer had his antlers knocked off.

Another time, there was a Salvador Dali display, which was cool.  But again, the Marseillais destroyed some of the pieces.  Thankfully, not this one.

One time, they decided to combine classic works of art with modern art.  Meh.

Another time they put giant decorated globes out everywhere.

Speaking of giant, how about the Thumb Roundabout?

Then there's the new MuCem, which is all squiggly, and I kinda like it a lot.

 I also like the Bob's Big Boy statue...random if there ever was random in France.

Even the homeless get in on the art.  Like the grate, where they are collecting all their Heineken beer bottles together.

There was the time they set up a domino display across half the city, kick-starting the knock-down from the train station and ending at the Vieux Port.

And none of these things have explanations that I know of.  Like the time the Frog had a band and paraded down the street.

I learned not to ask why, but just enjoy the random and the weird.  I've long joked that Marseille should give itself the caption, "Marseille: Where Weird is the New Black."  I love it with all it's little quirkiness.