Martine Zussy, President of motoco&co:
Motoco turns 12 in 2025. That’s big, apparently. But like all children, we’re mostly full of questions—often very different from the ones we’re asked. The most frequent ones we get are:
“How does it work?”
“How many artists and artisans are there?”
“It belongs to the City of Mulhouse, right?”
Alright then, let’s unpack it.
How does it work? It doesn’t “work”—it moves forward, it limps, it jumps, it zigzags: happy instability.
How many? 132 thinking heads, creating mainly in the visual arts—but not only. There’s also music, radio, architects, and the people who keep the whole place running. More than 20 of those.
Owned by the City of Mulhouse? The building, yes. The rest, no. But without the City of Mulhouse, it would be permanent apnea. So we say thank you.
And then the classic:
“So you’re an artists’ collective?”
No. Not really. Here, there’s no selection based on elective affinities or mutual love of afternoon drinks that start at snack time.
We simply choose to be here. Together, but each on our own.
That creates tensions, disagreements, sideways glances.
Sometimes we admire our neighbor.
Sometimes we’d prefer they turn the volume down (or go on a residency very far away).
Unanimity? Never. Or if it happens, it’s suspicious.
And yet, in twos, threes, twenties: projects emerge. Not out of obligation, but out of friction and desire—or simply because things overflow.
A few rules to avoid spilling over, but the real driving force is space, emptiness, raw freedom.
What’s next? We’ll keep learning, sometimes by bumping into things. We’ll resist out of habit, and we’ll blaze when the occasion calls for it. All of this within 9,000 square meters of brick, concrete, and oversized windows (porous enough to let the horizon in, too porous to shield us from extreme temperatures).
The combination of artists with diverse skills and event-based activities makes it possible to:
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Foster dense and focused collaboration between artists, audiences, and professionals
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Create unique events, consistently enhanced by custom-designed sets and tailored storytelling
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Share experiences with the public while respecting the closed studio workspaces on the upper floors
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Maintain financial balance while offering rental conditions that are highly adapted and accessible to artists
After 11 years of existence, motoco continues to evolve and experiment, strengthening its local roots while expanding exchanges internationally.
Since 2018, motoco has extended beyond its walls through applied arts projects carried out in collaboration with artist collectives:
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Set design
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Publishing
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Graphic design
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Object design
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Interior and exterior design
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Support for event-based projects