This panel presents the work of the art space Ancrages in Marseille, whose engagement with the histories of the Tirailleurs—and with communities and voices calling for reparations—is rooted in their own situated method and practice. Founded in 2000, Ancrages works to valorize the cultures and memories of migrant communities that have shaped Marseille throughout its history. As a major Mediterranean port and strategic transit point during both World Wars, Marseille was a key site in the movements and experiences of the Tirailleurs. 

The discussion explores how Ancrages addresses the lived realities and historical erasure of the Tirailleurs through contemporary, collective forms of remembrance that foster a plural and inclusive memory. Through critical urban walks, workshops, documentary practices, and civic engagement, Ancrages challenges the whitening of history and affirms the association’s motto, ‘C’est par le récit que nous existons et que nous nous désignons au monde’ (‘It is through storytelling that we exist and make ourselves known to the world’). This conviction resonates with Frantz Fanon’s thought expressed in The Wretched of the Earth (1961): ‘Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfil it, or betray it.’