The idea of developing the cultural co-operation in a field of contemporary art in the Baltic appeared in Szczecin, Poland in 1995.
The name MARE ARTICUM was formed by removing the first letter from the mediaeval Latin name of the Baltic Sea (Balticum), and changing the 't' into an 'r' perceived as a triumph of semantics over grammar, visual and graphic principles of reading over syntax, the proliferation of words over lexical correctness.

MARE ARTICUM is a cultural co-operation project in the Baltic Sea region. It is co-ordinated by Magdalena Lewoc and Marlena Chybowska-Butler in collaboration with the National Museum in Szczecin, Poland and other representatives from important art institutions around the Baltic.
MARE ARTICUM's strategic aim is to promote contemporary visual art and artists in the region.