Showing posts with label Art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Art. Show all posts
Friday, December 14, 2018
Monday, December 10, 2018
Fez - Cultural Happenings
The last few days have been busy with a number of cultural events taking place, including contemporary dance and a new music group
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| Left to right - Etienne Gruel, Frédéric Calmès, Faith Barker, and Léo Fabre-Cartier, |
Gouer Ouled Chaabi is quartet of musicians who have a strong affinity with Morocco and its music. It is unusual as the group members, Etienne Gruel, Frédéric Calmès, Faith Barker, and Léo Fabre-Cartier, are all non-Moroccans!
According to singer Faith Barker, Gouer Ouled Chaabi is a work in progress. "Fred, Leo, Etienne and I are musicians who love Moroccan music and live or have spent extended periods in Morocco. For this project we have worked together on original songs in Moroccan chaabi styles, including lyrics in darija. Some of the songs playfully talk about things we have come across while living in Morocco, eg the strange things that can happen while you travel in a grand taxi".
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| Faith Barker in fine voice |
Saturday night's concert was the first time they had played together after a brief residence over the previous three days. But, as Faith explains, "Fred, Leo and Etienne have worked together on several storytelling shows and I’ve obviously done the same with Fred and Leo, as well as working with the Hamadcha together".
The performance was a treat, with fine vocals, mesmeric percussion and fine work from Fred and Leo. There was certainly no indication that this was the group's first concert. One highlight was a song inspired by the Hamadcha Sufi Brotherhood which had the audience swaying along and applauding loudly.
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| Maestro! Leo at work |
Gouer Ouled Chaabi plan to continue the project with further concerts and hopefully a recording in 2019, so, watch this space!
Contemporary Dance
Friday night's performance of the 11th edition of the International Festival of Expressive Dance at Complexe Culturel Al Hourria was a delightful mix of styles. In the first section, budding ballet dancers from the Ecole des Arts Classica performed a simple series of steps under the enthusiastic eye of their parents. When the smaller dancers left the stage, the street dancers of Studio X entered, to much applause. A duet between a classical ballet dancer and a hip hop dancer was the highlight, and an unexpected treat.
The second section, with three accomplished contemporary dancers, was a more serious piece. Called Women, it explored perceptions of female identity.
Choreographed by Alham El Morsli, it began with a dancer fighting to get out of a mosquito net. When she eventually succeeded, hair covered her face, and she moved across the stage like a wild creature - clearly representing the primal, primitive aspect of the female psyche.
The second dancer was the extreme stereotype of sexualised femininity, strutting and rolling about the stage, smoking, in a tight red dress and ridiculously exaggerated high heels. Her personae and movements were confronting to some in the audience, who left during this section.
The last dancer wore a long white robe, covered with what appeared to be soft toys. She came across as a girl/child, trapped within a garment that confined her movements.
After changing into identical dark grey tops and lighter grey trousers, the women's movements became freer, and they explored group dynamics, with two dancers "attacking" the third. A transition followed, until they eventually all were dancing together, supporting one another.
It was a considered, reflective piece which raised some pertinent points about stereotypes of femininity versus reality - surprising and pleasing to see it in a Moroccan context.
For further information about Babylon Cult Art Association, CLICK HERE.
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Saturday, November 24, 2018
Aziz Kibari Solo Exhibition in Marrakech
Aziz Kibari is having a solo exhibition at the Casino of La Mamounia Hotel in Marrakesh from December 10th to 16th
If you haven't caught up with this exciting artist, then this is great opportunity to see his work. The style is idiosyncratic and his two main motifs - the donkey and the "bonhomme" - are a delight!
Aziz has worked over the years to improve and expand his techniques and media using gouache and acrylic on paper with warm colours, natural.
Aziz Kibari instantly detects the artistic potential of beldi characters straight out of his imagination and inspired by his youth on his parent's farm.
"Through my paintings, I try to recover a lost world in all its simplicity with an attachment to the land and nature's inspiration." - Aziz Kibari
More information
Aziz Kibari
Art Studio Charaf Marrakesh
Mob +212 660 636 484
azizkibari@gmail.com
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Monday, October 08, 2018
Street Art in Oujda
An exhibition of giant mural frescoes called "kharbachat"was inaugurated in Oujda last Friday. The works is the initiative of an association for culture and development, the Collective Tzouri. "Tzouri" is an expression in the Amazigh language which means "beauty"
Carried out in the heart of the old medina, these works include a portrait of an elderly man and paintings depicting large bird wings, the aim being to preserve the intangible heritage and bring people closer to contemporary art. and modern.
"By working in consultation with the locals, we took the initiative to beautify alleys of the old medina through canvases inspired by local traditions and culture," Mohamed Momo, president of Collectif Tzouri.Street art allows young people to unleash their creativity and give life and color to the walls, Mohamed Momo said, noting that the association has already undertaken similar initiatives on the painting of pedestrian crossings in the city centre of Oujda, which have become a true work of art, with the aim of raising the awareness of pedestrians and motorists alike about road safety.
The result of a collaboration with the Moulay Slimane Foundation of Oujda, this exhibition shows a multitude of paintings in shimmering colours allowing people to enjoy the beauty and the expressive dimension of the murals. Created in 2016 the Collectif Tzouri is interested in music, audio-visual and visual arts.
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Saturday, October 06, 2018
Serendipity is Open All This Month
The exhibition by Jess Stephens continues this month. It is open every afternoon.
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| Photo credit: Suzanna Clarke |
Jess Stephens - in her own words
I am strongly captivated to a creative endeavour of blind adventures and unexpected encounters. The abstract paintings and digital photography pieces in the exhibition, titled Serendipity’ have been executed without any intention of their destination. Each mark reacting to the next, to the next and so the journey unfolds. What could be perceived as accident and coincidence I value as serendipitous encounters and golden twists of fate; given that when in the process of creativity I am inspired; that is to say ‘in spirit’.
In my practice as a visual artist, I am drawn to constellations that emanate a vigour both harmonious and kinetic. The subject, principally the materiality of the work and it relations with itself, be that between one mark and another or one colour with another, play on surfaces, materials and rapport. All-be-it abstract expressionism is a big influence on my creative expression a playful use of material is in use I have seemingly wondered off from a classic painter’s palette. Bundles of knotted thread become scribbled marks, lengths of cloth strips, tape act as paint gestures and teapots, charcoal smudges. The work, in all mediums, has a lively approach, in the coalition of materials such as inadvertent photography, use of cloth, thread and packaging tapes.
I am in search of a truth of painting as a transcendent act and experience; a physical and spiritual act of self-expression through gesture, movement and material. Colour and surface making, rather than an idea that words can cast and the responsibility on the artist not to undermine arts natural subjectivity with the assimilation the western, art world seeks. Faith and trust are important elements to the process. Faith in one’s decisions to make, retain or eliminate marks. Trust in a universal awareness that guides me along the way.
Seen as much in the sculptures as in the two-dimensional pieces, mid-20th century abstract expressionism is a big influence on my creative expression. Through a playful use of material It is about the material and the act of creation unbound to subject matter and story telling that enact my internal and external landscapes.
Culture Vultures, ALIF and ALC present Serendipity by Jess Stephens
@ALIF RIAD
Open daily 5-7.30
Runs until the 29th of October
06 45 22 32 03 to be hosted by the artist
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Monday, October 01, 2018
Saturday, September 15, 2018
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Fes Festival Fringe
During the Fes Festival a number of fringe events have been held in the Fes Medina, adding to the lively and creative atmosphere. These include a singing workshop and street performance with children from the Fez Medina Children's Library, and an exhibition by a locally based UK artist, Noel Bensted.Singing Workshop
On Sunday afternoon, a group of 20 Australian singers, led by renowned choir master Stuart Davis, did a workshop with a group of children who regularly attend the Fes Medina Children's Library.
Despite having no spoken language in common, the two groups bonded over a love of music. The 17 children, ranging in age from 7 - 14, learned three songs in a room provided by the Medina Social Club. They then did an impromptu street performance in front of the Medina Children's Library with the Australian travellers - much to the enjoyment of the local shopkeepers and passersby, as well as the singers.
Stuart Davis conducts three choirs in Sydney, and is a musician in the band Big Merino. "What a joy to find a group of open, responsive, unselfconscious, happy children waiting to sing with us on our visit to Fez," he said. "We made the effort to learn a few words in Arabic to connect, but needn’t have worried - the kids were so quick to pick up everything and it seemed that, as always, the music itself is the universal language. It was a real highlight for everyone in our group."
For further information about the Fez Medina Children's Library, CLICK HERE.
Painting Exhibition
This week, Fez-based painter Noel Bensted is holding an open house to show his latest works. Many were produced during a recent creative frenzy of 22 days of painting, and feature Moroccan portraits and landscapes.
The classical figurative painter, originally from the UK, finds abundant inspiration in the Fez Medina. "I love the beauty of the cast light here...Everywhere I look is like a Rembrandt or Caravaggio painting. But it's not fake - it's real," he said.
Paintings range from €150 - €800, and drawings from €60 - €200.
For more information: CLICK HERE.
Noel Bensted can be contacted on +212 (0) 6 88 72 11 23.
Review and photographs: Suzanna Clarke
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Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Sal Sidner - Art Exhibition Opens Saturday
ART Exhibition - "The Dancing Brush " - Recent works by S a l S i d n e r
O p e n i n g : Sunday, June 22, 6:30 PM ALIF Riad, 6 Derb Drissi, Bath
Continues daily 4-6 PM through June 30
Sal Sidner is an artist who paints what she sees en pleine aire when she travels. In the studio her mixed media paintings and installations reflect her love of music, textiles and collage, and address human culture, feminist issues and ecological concerns. Born in England, she attended Loughborough and West of England Colleges of art, before moving to India, and eventually the USA. Her Master’s studies were at New York University, Ca' Foscari in Venice Italy, and Academia de Bellas Artes, Florence. She holds Educational Specialist and Master’s degrees from the University of Florida, and currently teaches art. She has been awarded artist’s residencies in Europe, India and the USA, and exhibits at international fairs.
C o n t a c t :
Email: alifphotoclub@gmail.com
GSM: 0641271605 - 0659661502
ALIF Riad, 6 Derb Drissi, Batha
https://www.facebook.com/ALC.ALIF.Photography.Club
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Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Saturday, January 13, 2018
Fez Gathering - Final Roundtable Discussions
The 3rd International Artists Gathering hosted its final day of discussions with a highly appreciative audience braving the very cold conditions. The provision of coffee, tea and small snacks, assisted in boosting the energy levels of those a little tired from the previous night's Slide Luck presentation
The first round table discussion on contemporary art in Africa was well attended, but got off to a late start on a particularly cold morning of around 7 degrees Celsius.
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| Moderator Neil van der Linden |
The individual contributions were well received. Aurelie Lierman, a composer based in The Hague, pointed out the domination of the contemporary art scene over the years by 'middle-aged male Europeans". Originally from Rwanda, Aurelie, an engaging speaker, was one of a strong contingent from the Netherlands that included Neil Van der Linden, and singer, Shishani Vranckx.
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| Aurelie Lierman |
The two second speakers explained they were doing a joint project, but their contribution were plagued by technical problems and a rather chaotic attempt to rectify the situation turned into an unintended piece of performance art. Eventually, Yassine Balbzioui, from Rabat and Matteo Rubbi, from Italy, informed the audience that the project was a 'paper plane making" competition. Inexplicably, the presentation ended up with a large painting being carried around the streets and an attempt to destroy it by kicking a football through it.
This was followed by a video presentation filmed in Dakar, entitled "You are the shade of my Heart" by Mohammed Arejdal from Rabat. In the video, the audience follows a man dressed in Moroccan clothes, carrying a large red umbrella through the streets. The reaction of local people makes for an interesting cross-cultural discussion. The carrying of an umbrella was the job of a slave - and Mohammed explained his motivation as being political.
The session however, suffered from having too many speakers, technical problems and an overlong introduction from the moderator who, to the bemusement of many in the audience, appeared to cast himself as a contributor rather than facilitator.
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| Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar |
The final session was preceded by an unannounced but interesting input from Syrian American author, Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar, whose first novel, The Map of Salt and Stars, is to be published in a couple of months. Jennifer explained that her novel had two main threads - the story of modern-day refugees and that of a famous make-maker some eight hundred years earlier. The introduction of the art of the written word made for a seamless transition to the topic that followed
The final round table discussion switched direction from art, performance and photography to the realm of language. Titled looking at the history and tensions between Anglophone and Francophone communities.
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| Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar's first novel |
In Africa, English is spoken by around 130 million people, while French speakers number 115 million.
As one of the panelists commented, "Africa needs an African language". However, while Swahili might be an obvious candidate, the chances of a consensus is highly improbable.
Linguistic dominance comes at a price and is an issue that should be considered seriously. With the increase in so-called world languages comes the erosion of local languages and dialects. Language is the mother of culture - it is part of the cultural DNA and needs to be respected and protected..
The total number of languages natively spoken in Africa is variously estimated (depending on the delineation of language vs. dialect) at between 1,250 to 2,100. Nigeria alone has over 500 languages - one of the greatest concentrations of linguistic diversity in the world.
Several speakers suggested that the future will include Cantonese and Mandarin. The growing importance of China in trade, development, investment and tourism will provide employment possibilities for those who can speak Chinese.
Omar Chennafi, Meryem Lahrichi and the team deserve congratulations for their vision of the 3rd Fez Gathering and having turned that vision into a stimulating few days in Fez.
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Friday, January 12, 2018
Ritual, Practice and Sufism in Africa
The Second day of the 3rd International Artists Gathering dawned cold but sunny. Proceedings got underway after morning coffee and a panel on "Ritual, Practice and Sufism in Africa
The panel was chaired by Anthropologist, George Bajalla , from New York's Columbia University.
Sidi Brahim Tidjani, the spiritual leader of the Tidjani Sufi Brotherhood, was quick to point out that there was a big difference between what he termed "popular" Sufism and formal Sufism. When it cam to the question of art, Sidi Brahim pointed out that "art is in the breath" - referring to the practice of samaa - listening and remembering.
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| Fernando Manrique |
Fernando Manrique, psychotherapist and psychiatrist, gave an animated description of what constitutes ritual. Remarking that ritual is a necessary component of community.
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| In the audience - Jess Stephens of Culture Vultures |
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| Ramia Beladel - fascinating personal ritual |
Ramia Beladel, a Marrakech based artist, gave a fascinating description of "life-long project" entitled "Waiting for Godot to Bless Me". Her search for a personal ritual has evolved since she came up with the concept back in 2011. In an echo of Brahim Tidjani's description of "art being in the breath". Ramia has made a ritual of putting her breath into white balloons and leaving them in sacred places with some white stones. Ramia has performed her evolving ritual at the annual celebrations at Sidi Ali in 2015 and 2016 and also in Bolivia. Ramia is keen on spreading the ritual and has already had an artist in Canada take up the challenge
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| Professor Meriem El Haitami - shrinking women's space |
By far the most academic presentation was from Professor Meriem El Haitami, from Rabat's International University. She challenged the notion of formal versus popular Sufism and went on to point out what she sees as a disturbing trend, a reduction in the space to women in mosques and other sacred spaces. At the same time she pointed out the research that shows women have often been ceremonial leaders in Sufi practice.
Calligrapher, Mohammed Charkaoui, gave a fascinating presentation on the changing style of calligraphy over the centuries.
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Thursday, January 11, 2018
Friday, January 05, 2018
Saturday, December 30, 2017
Africa of the Africans,” the 3rd Annual International Artists Gathering of Fez
“Africa of the Africans,” is the 3rd Annual International Artists Gathering of Fez and runs from January 11-14, 2018
Co-curated by local artist and founder Omar Chennafi and guest curators Neil van der Linden, and George Bajalia, the 3rd Annual International Fez Gathering of Artists in Fez celebrates the theme “Africa of the Africans.”
Artists and scholars from around the world are invited to explore the connections between Morocco and the rest of the African continent through talks, art, and music. In addition to displaying the cultural power of Africa, the event promotes awareness of the intrinsic diversities and commonalities of the continent and studies its unexplored potentials within the walls of Fez – a symbolic ancient city with a modern role. The Gathering is a leader in promoting the arts of Africa and supports the artistic community of Fez by providing it a space to exhibit artwork alongside international artists, academics, and guests.
This year’s Gathering includes the following panels: “Photography and Documentary in Africa,” “Contemporary Art in Africa,” “Ritual, Practice, and Sufism in Africa,” and “Language Exchange in Africa: Beyond Francophone and Anglophone.” Presenters will discuss the function of cultural production in the African context and how art is being used to address the current challenges on the continent. Artists joining this year’s Gathering include Mohamed Arejdal, Ramia Beladel, Meriem El Haitami , Mohamed Charkaoui, Benjamin Füglister, M’hammed Kilito, Aurelie Lierman, Eva Maria Ocherbauer, Matteo Rubbi, Frank Vellenga, and Shishani Vranckx.
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| Omar Chennafi is the driving force behind the Gathering |
Admission is free and open to the public. Participants are invited to share feedback. The entire festival will be filmed, documented and subsequently shared on social media. This coverage will include one-on-one interviews with artists and participants.
The International Fez Gathering of Artists is held in partnership with The Dutch embassy in Rabat, The Goethe-Institut in Morokko, The French Institute of Fez, the Regional Council of Tourism, American Language Centre of Fez, Café Clock, the Moroccan-American Commission for Education and Cultural Exchange, Plan-it Morocco, The Cervantes Institute, and the Confederation of African Students and Interns in Morocco.
For more information and press inquiries please contact Gwyneth Talley, Press/Media Coordinator, at fezgathering@gmail.com. Visit us online at http://www.fezgathering.com/.
Preview Program schedule
This is a preliminary schedule of the 3rd Fez Gathering program. Further theatre, concert, workshops and other performances will be announced in the coming weeks.
January 11th, 2018 Alif Riad (Invited guests) Arrival day in Fez.
18:30 Opening ceremony/reception - Alif Riad in Batha, Fez Medina. 19:00 Music Concert
January 12th, 2018 Dar Batha and other locations (Open to the general public)
19:00 Panel presentation: Contemporary Art in Africa
Panel presentation: Photography & Documentary Films in Africa Lunch provided by Café Clock Fez Fashion show: African Fashion
Exhibition opening at Alif Riad or El Kasmi gallery Music concert
January 13th, 2018
(Open to the general public)
Panelpresentation: Sufism, Religion, Rituals and their Artistic Expressions in Africa
Break Panel presentation: Language Exchange in Africa: Beyond Francophone and Anglophone Lunch provided by Café Clock Fez
Workshop:Islamic Geometry
Theatre Performance at Cinema Boujloud
Slideluck, African Potluck followed by the slide show production
Dar Batha and other locations
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Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Kibari Brothers - New Exhibition
Mark your diary! The Kibari brothers are back with an exciting new exhibition.
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| (Click images to enlarge) |
The exhibition will be at the Grand Casino , La Mamounia, Marrakesh from the 24th of November 2017 until the 10th of Decdember 2017
Find out more about Aziz Kibari - HERE
Kibari Habib visual artist painter (The Leader)
Kibari Abdel artist sculptor (The Youngest)
Kibari Aziz artist painter and sculptor (The Medium)
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Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Slow Air - Exhibition opens Saturday, October 14th
SLOW AIR is an exhibition arising out of the Culture Vultures & AiR Sefrou’s one month residency with Abbey Muza & Mustapha Lghomari, Performing Pictures (Geska Brečević & Robert Brečević) and Teerapoj Teeropas. Nissa Nishikawa reports...
The unique environment in the medina of Sefrou has gathered this international group from USA, Sweden, Croatia and Thailand to explore new works together and independently. A meticulous observation of the intersection of light, craft and space emerges from all four artists in a diverse arrangement of form and material.
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Their examinations of the real and the imagined will be extended to the public at the ALF Riad from October 14th to October 18th.
Abbey Muza - Figues
"It is a sweet, soft, enigmatic power that drives us on. We cease to
think, to feel, to will; we let ourselves be carried away by it, and
ask not whither?” - Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, Venus in Furs
Her month in Sefrou has fluctuated between two trajectories. One being the assemblage of a carpet on a loom she built in her bedroom, interlaced with plastics and inclusion of found text. The sensorial and sensual nature of this strenuous act accommodates well to her private quarters-the voluminous walls supporting the visceral process of this ancient form of technology.
The other aspect of her work is with the artist/weaver Mustapha Lghomari in the medina of Sefrou. Passing on knowledge to Abbey from his father and grandfather, Mustapha revealed techniques on how to spin, thread and warp with great speed on the hand-built loom whilst introducing an online archive with an abundance of motifs to apply to their collaboration. Here, Abbey has initiated five meters of brocade work. She has brought this skill into the studio, modifying Mustapha’s loom for a rhythmical exchange.
Mustapha Lghomari - Weave Draft Archive
Mustapha Lghomari is both an artist and an artisan. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather worked as weavers and he has chosen to continue their craft. However, Mustapha is no ordinary weaver. Making textiles is a passion that consumes him-as he says, it is his life. He passes each day weaving in his studio. At night, he logs into his computer and spends hours making drafts on special weaving software while downloading patterns and images of textiles to his archive. Over the past three years, he has accumulated thousands of such files. Weave Draft Archive displays an extraordinary amount of research into his craft, and is shown here at the ALIF Riad as it was initially shared with Abbey Muza. Abbey has collaged patterns existing in this archive to create the motifs for their collaborative brocade weaving.
Performing Pictures (Geska Brečević and Robert Brečević) - Boxed Walk Cycle 1 & Boxed Walk Cycle 2
With work produced extensively in environments abundant with artisans, the philosophy of AiR Sefrou resonated and aligned with their community-orientated endeavours yet with an air of the unknown-this being Robert’s first visit to Northern Africa.
In Sefrou, they have discovered a location devoid of ivory towers and pop culture with people connecting to craft opposed to the conceptual or abstract. Questions of value and purpose in traditional craft and the arts, while straying far from the ‘exoticised experience’, have been prevalent for them. Amidst the necessity of this critical perspective, Performing Pictures moved away from any decorative application in their new work and chose to work with two crude metal boxes: a diptych in perpetual motion.
Revisiting the classical technique of the flip book and the hand cranking animation box, the essence of metallic material is presented within. The detailed photographic observations of texture on metal doors are embedded into the animation while projecting the experience of the tactile; the textured. The movement of these boxes travels from left to right and right to left, implying the Latin and Arabic mode to read. The ebb and flow of the two scripts from this mechanical entity are a gesture of coexistence yet, perpetuating tension as the two shall never meet.
The bare bones of the frames were constructed with Younes Bouhaddoun, a metal worker on the outskirt of the medina. The boxes act as a counterpart to the immaculate white paper applied within. The interior also evokes images of fantastical creatures representing the boundless imagination of the child. The transformation of ‘the kid’ from human to animal is wistfully contained in a box within a box. This remarks again on a relentless motion that never reaches its final objective and the strategy at hand to choose a ‘fascinated indifference’ towards the fundamental oxymoron of life.
Teerapoj Teeropas - Medina
Integrating quietly into the familiarity of the medina (these streets reminding him of home in Bangkok), the patterns of shadows, the light and the darkness triggered his eyes to the detailed stucco carvings. These dynamic carvings done from the artisan’s innate muscle memory drew Teerapoj to Fes, where he has been working with two skilled brothers, Abid and Hafid.
The scale of this new work is intentionally small and subtle, imprinting generations of wisdom and bridging thousands of miles of cultural divide.
Mindfulness to the physical absence of history and the decaying architectural details in the medina are at the core of this piece. His research, unrestricted and fluid, was noted in derelict riads and pathway formations in the old town. Collected designs of the lost and forgotten were chiseled into the plaster structure directly on the street amongst wide-eyed children and the passerby thus being guided by the immediate environment and all its past resonances.
The exhibition will be open from 6pm to 8pm October 14th until October 18th at the ALIF Riad, 6 Derb Drissi, Batha, Fes. Please join the artists on October 14th Saturday between 6pm and 8pm for drinks and conversations.SHARE THIS!
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Is The Party Over For The Marrakech Biennale?
The Marrakech, initially scheduled in February 2018, has been postponed indefinitely Meanwhile, the brilliant critic of Cameroonian art, Christine Eyene, has been appointed curator of the next edition of the Biennale of Casablanca, scheduled for October 2018
The Marrakech Biennale has run into problems over funding and its image as a "party event", an image that has upset many locals.
"There is no money," says Amine Kabbaj, executive chairman of the event. I have written twice to His Majesty, I do not know how to awaken people to the highest level. Culture is not the priority of this government. "
Founded 13 years ago by Britain's Vanessa Branson (sister of Richard Branson, patron of Virgin group), the event managed to raise 900,000 euros from Moroccan sponsors in 2016. The edition led by Palestinian exhibition commissioner Reem Fadda was high quality and had a record attendance of 100,000 visitors. The choice of the excellent Moroccan exhibition curator Mouna Mekouar to orchestrate the next edition presaged the best.
But today is the time of the accounts. And, for the first time, the Biennale has a deficit of about 300,000 euros. Worse, it alienated the local community. "It is a biennial that has been made for foreigners and not for Moroccans," says Yasmina Naji, director of the gallery and Kulte Art Centre in Rabat. "Much money was spent in festive events, private parties, and very little on the production of works. The Biennale was poorly managed."
The cancellation is a blow to the contemporary art fair 1:54, which had voluntarily grafted on its calendar to organise its first edition in Marrakech. "I am sad that the Biennale is rejected, but I am convinced that it is only partly handed over," says Touria El-Glaoui, its director. "It seems all the more essential to launch 1:54 Marrakech and to offer an international exhibition of quality to the Moroccan public."
1:54 is a leading African art fair and after a successful third edition in New York in May 2017, the fair will return for its fifth London edition from the 5-8th October 2017.
Amine Kabbaj said she wanted to try everything for the end of November, with the organisation by the Moroccan Art Works Company (CMOOA), in a large hotel in Marrakech, of a charity sale of works donated by the artists. " It's not serious, now ask artists to fund the Biennale!" says Yasmina Naji. "In any case, a biennale does not come up in a few months. Finally, we must understand the necessity of placing cultural management professionals at the head of this event."
Meanwhile in Casablanca...
Mostapha Romli, the founding president of the International Biennial of Casablanca, has named Christine Eyene the artistic director of the exhibition’s fourth edition, which will kick off in October 2018.
Founded in 2012, the biennial aims to create dialogue between Moroccan and African artists and the international art scene.
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| Christine Eyene |
Eyene is a research fellow in contemporary art at the University of Central Lancashire, where she works on “Making Histories Visible,” an interdisciplinary visual arts research project led by artist and professor Lubaina Himid. She is also the cofounder of YaPhoto, a photography platform based in Yaounde, Cameroon. More recently, she organised the touring exhibition “Sounds Like Her,” which showcases women’s practices in music and sound art, opening at New Art Exchange in Nottingham in October 2017.
“It is in Morocco that I took my first steps in contemporary art many years ago,” Eyene said. “I am delighted at the opportunity to develop a large-scale project bridging Morocco and Africa with diverse international art contexts.”
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Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Exhibition Fireworks For Former Fez Photographer
Photographer and former Fez resident, Paul Biehn, was in fine form last Saturday night at the opening of his exhibition in Arles, France
"Fireworks" is his spectacular new collection of works now showing at the Arles Yoga Studio until September 10.
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| "Fireworks give us access to dreams, emotions and hallucinations" |
Paul said he had long held an affection for fireworks, "...which give us access to dreams, emotions and hallucinations." He took the photographs which are the basis of the series on Bastille Day, July 14, during the firework show over the banks of the Rhone river in Arles. He has further enhanced them by repeating specific patterns and printing them on large sheets of photographic paper. The finished results are abstract and intriguing, and there are echoes of Arabic design.
Last Saturday evening, Paul and partner Julia Mitton hosted a gathering of locals, including the mayor of Arles, Herve Schiavetti, chef Harry Cummins and his partner, sommelier Laura Vidal, who are about to open their third season running the restaurant at the Grand Hotel Nord Pinus. Harry and Laura are still remembered by many in Fez for their memorable stint running a "pop-up" at Resto 7, which they did along with Julia Mitten. Paul Biehn ran the Fez Cafe and held several exhibitions while resident in Fez, and still visits regularly.
Since Paul and Julia purchased the building in Arles a year and a half ago - a pharmacy which had not operated for more than 30 years - they have created a stylish, contemporary space suitable for yoga classes and a juice bar as well as exhibitions.
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| A contemporary space suitable for yoga classes |
Set in the Camargue in southern France, Arles has long been known as a place for artists, with former residents including Van Gogh. Again it is becoming a major cultural hub, with the the Luma Arts Foundation, designed by Frank Gehry, due to open in 2018/19.
"Fireworks" can be seen until September 10 at Arles Yoga, 9 Rue du Palais, Arles, France. For further information, CLICK HERE.
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