Fez - stuck in the past?

This week our guest contributor is Jess Stephens (pictured below) who works as cultural co-ordinator with Culture Vultures. (culture.vulture1@rocketmail.com)

Often described as cultural capital of the kingdom, Fes, spiritual capital and oldest Moroccan medina, has to be careful not to sink into its own fermentation . A living museum, centuries old, elegant and fascinating it can be but modern and updated it is not. The problem with municipalities that are so ancient and historically important, is that any cultural funding goes into restoration and upkeep of the past, leaving little energy, space or means for the now and dare I say it contemporary ( a phrase that modifies itself depending on context ).

Were it not for organisations such as the Spanish and French Institute, Clocks’ cultural activities and Culture Vultures’ ( C.V.) enriching program, I believe I would have died a slow death by cultural starvation. Thanks also to Zen Gardens, Mezzanine, Kiotori and the Orientalist gallery for helping me breath and feel alive in the 21st century.

Is there anything more stimulating than alchemy of the best of the old combined with the fresh and exciting of the now? This is why the forthcoming show of modern calligraphy at the Orientalist is an important exhibition and cultural occasion for Fez city. Two successful, progressive Moroccan painters, who have decided not to escape to other lands where modern art is appreciated more and easier to market; Diafallah and Chater will be exhibiting side by side in a dynamic visual dialogue that demonstrates present-day Morocco, bringing the past into the current world.

Norredine Diafallah, collected by the Guggenheim (New York) and Norredine Chater, recently commissioned to paint a large scale painting for Marrakech’s train station, will be showing their most recent works in Fes from the 28th of May through to the 27th of June. For a lucky preview and a taste of up-to-the-minute Moroccan culture join both the artists, the gallerist Aziz Karmouni and myself on Thursday 28th from 6:30 at the Orientalist Art Gallery. 38, Rue Abdelaziz Boutaleb, Fez .V.N.



Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news