Beyond the walls 

Art Explora Festival is a cultural odyssey in the Mediterranean initiated by the Art Explora Foundation, in partnership with the European Union. Its journey, which began in spring 2024, will end in 2026. This traveling festival, designed as a program of exchanges and meetings between the shores of the Mediterranean, revolves around several elements. The first floating museum in the world, a catamaran, will make stops in 15 Mediterranean countries, including Morocco. During each stopover, exhibition pavilions and onshore programming will be offered to the public.

In collaboration with the Louvre Museum, the immersive exhibitions on board invite visitors to question the role and representation of women in the Mediterranean region. In parallel, a sound journey is offered to visitors, who are invited to relax on deckchairs with headphones on.

The Art Explora Foundation aims to bridge the cultural gap while democratizing art in all its forms. In Morocco, this is already partly successful, as the first stop in Tangier (until September 29) is a hit. The next stop is scheduled for Rabat in October.

Art Explora Festival – until September 29 in Tangier / October 11-17, 2024, in Rabat
To book: reservation@artexplora.org

Botanical immersion

Abderrahim Yamou hardly needs an introduction. A biologist, sociologist, and art historian, he is a painter of nature and the biological world.  His work explores both material and abstraction, figuration and the pictorial. At each of his exhibitions, Yamou invites the spectator into a kind of introspection. He constantly questions presence and absence, the cycles of life, death, and rebirth.

For his new exhibition at Atelier 21, he explores the theme “Sensitive Praise of Humus,” where he delves into the origins of life in the plant world. Minerals, humus, and earth intertwine, meet, and fuse to give rise to tiny manifestations of blossoming. With over twenty paintings, oils on canvas or wood, this solo show is one of the must-see exhibitions of 2024.

Solo Exhibition by Abderrahim Yamou – Galerie Atelier 21 – September 24 to October 26, 2024
21, rue Abou Mahassine Arrouyani, Casablanca
Tel: 05 22 98 17 85

Reminiscence

Bouchra Boudoua is undoubtedly one of those contemporary Moroccan artists who have managed to stand out internationally, thanks to her talent and unique approach. We’ve introduced her before. Known for her pottery, she returns this fall in a completely different medium: painting. Starting October 3, she will present “I Remember a Land” at Loft Art Gallery in Casablanca.

For this new exhibition, the artist delves into her childhood memories, reinterpreting the richness of Moroccan landscapes, both mountainous and rural, that she observed as a little girl. Collecting fragments of stories, iconic motifs, and ancestral symbols, she offers a decidedly graphic interpretation.

Proud of her Berber origins, Bouchra Boudoua also pays tribute to Amazigh culture. Her work exudes a balanced interplay of shapes, lines, and colors, both simple and sophisticated. The works on display, mixed media paintings on wood, take us from Dar Skoura to the edges of the Souss river.

Solo Exhibition by Bouchra Boudoua, “I Remember a Land” – Loft Art Gallery – October 3 to November 15, 2024
13, rue El Kaissi, Triangle d’Or, Bourgogne, Casablanca
Tel: 05 22 94 47 65

Female portraits

If you haven’t been yet, and you’re passing through the Strait city, a visit to the Foundation for Photography is a must. Perched on the heights of Tangier, the venue hosts a truly unique exhibition for a few more weeks. “Role Play” is a photo exhibition featuring the works of seven female artists. Though these are self-portraits, they are far from the usual introspections typical of this genre. In the photographs, the women depicted take on roles, transform themselves, and play with the camera.

You’ll discover, for example, the carefully staged portraits by the Countess of Castiglione. This former spy, famous for being Napoleon III’s mistress, is also considered a genius artist. The black-and-white photographs of Francesca Woodman, who died at 22 but left behind a body of work with over 800 mysterious and surreal prints. Works by contemporary Moroccan artists like Amina Benbouchta question the condition of women in society. The photographs of Fatima Mazmouz, Fatima Zohra Serri, and Safaa Marzih focus more on the essence of the female role within the Moroccan cultural context.

In short, “Role Play” is one of those 2024 exhibitions that should not be missed.

Role Play – until January 31, 2025
Foundation for Photography of Tangier
La Vieille montagne, Route de Sidi Masmoudi, Tangier

Urban fragments

Based in Marrakech since 2009, the Montresso Foundation aims to support and promote the diversity of artistic expression. As a residence for artists, it hosts painter ROSH as part of the 2024 exhibitions. Of Hispanic origin, this former graffiti artist turned to new practices during the pandemic. Used to working outdoors on the scale of a city, he found himself confined, forced to create differently.

Today, he presents the exhibition “Se de un lugar”: a journey through Seville, Tenerife, and Marrakech from which the artist returns even more in love with humanity. He captures the graphic essence of the city, fragments it, and reinterprets it to design a new urban landscape. His work consists of compositions rhythmically marked by bold colors and lines. ROSH creates new urban identities that inspire travel, allowing free reign to daydreams and even the utopia of a world without borders. A little detour to the Jardin Rouge of the Montresso Foundation is essential!

Solo Exhibition by Rosh, “Se de un lugar” – Jardin Rouge Fondation Montresso – September 28 to November 16, 2024
Jnane Al’ahmar Ouidane, Douar Ouled Zbir, route de Fès, Marrakech

Traditions of elegance

In the heart of Marrakech, in a 17th-century riad, the Museum of Moroccan Elegance is opening. A venue entirely dedicated to the cultural and sartorial  history of our country. The museum showcases the work of artist and researcher-documentalist Habiba Hantout (1936-2024). More than 200 hand-crafted miniature female and male dolls trace the evolution of Moroccan clothing over 13 centuries. She dedicated her entire life to this collection, spending nearly 40 years conducting meticulous research, countless hours of skilled sewing, and maintaining an unyielding passion.

Spread over two levels, the museum features several rooms. One is dedicated to city brides, two others focus on Berbers and the Sahara. The collections take us from the north to the south of the Kingdom, highlighting the particularities of each province or region. A place devoted to Moroccan history told through the haïk, the mendil, the selham, the caftans of Benchrif Khrib, and the jellabas. It’s must-visit during your next trip to the ochre city.

Museum of Moroccan Elegance – Pre-opening from September 28, 2024
Rue Kaat Benahid, No. 5 Derb El Khamsi, Marrakech
Tel: 06 64 09 60 04

Personal Invitation

The African Arty gallery offers a particularly unusual exhibition for the start of the season. “Artistic Journeys” features artist Mostafa Maftah, who welcomes visitors as if he were at home in his studio. Throughout his residency, the gallery has been transformed into an intimate space designed to faithfully convey the artist’s universe. During visits, spectators discuss, exchange, or listen to Mostafa Maftah explain his work.

Painter, sculptor, and performer, Mostafa Maftah believes that art and its various expressions can transcend all barriers. His work aims to reconnect us with one another. While he seeks to capture the beauty of life and the complementary duality of emotions, he also wants to invite us to contemplate. Painting, tapestry, or sculpture, all mediums are fair game to provoke thought. Be sure to visit; among the 2024 exhibitions, this one promises to be an interesting experience!

Artistic Journeys – Mostafa Maftah – African Arty Gallery – Opening on September 25 at 7 PM until October 15, 2024
30 rue Zahrat Aloualoua, Beauséjour, Casablanca
Tel: 06 87 22 26 14