Jack Lang (75 years) was our cultural Minister under a couple of socialist governments. I always admired him and perhaps even more so today, as you will see. Apart from changing the contemporary art scene in France, he also helped theatrical creators, developed new cultural events such as the "Fête de la Musique", 1982, "Patrimony days and open visits" in 1984, the "Cinema festival" in 1985 and the "Desire to read" in 1989. Along with all this, he put into place more than 20 contemporary art centres, acquired some fabulous paintings (Pierre Soulages, Pierre Aelchinsky, Daniel Buren just to name a few) and helped young designers such as Philippe Starck and others. From my point of view he was a very outright and forth going Minister. I happened to sit next to him at the Theatre some months ago and was disappointed that he looked bored and left at interval! He was named President of the Arab Institute not so long ago. I went along to the exhibition on Moroccan contemporary art wondering what he would do with it, certainly with mixed feelings. My last couple of visits had been disappointing so was putting him to the test.
Jack Lang has done marvels. I was completely taken aback by the variety of work, the presentation which for once had a breath of fesh air, the little « salons » put at the visitors' disposition to read in, or look at videos - I don’t think I have seen such an exciting exhibition in a long time.
The first gallery was photography which didn’t hold my attention for too long - I don’t see the point of photographing a donkey in different rooms in a house - I maybe wrong? When I went into the following gallery, I gasped……..oh and yes, we could take photos and I did buy the catalogue…..
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| Her work as a whole and what I saw first |
Farid Belkahia (1934: Lives and works in Marrakech) . His work is very symbolic as you can see. « Fertility », « Trance » His work dances, moves, is voluptuous and seemingly, but I’m saying it, a continued relation between men and women. I would think that he has a lot more to say that just that, but I could only admire his work and enjoy the marvelous space it was shown in.
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| Farid Belkahia - 1980 L'Hommage à Courbet |
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| F.B. Procession 1995 |
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| F.B. Fecondité 1980 |
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| F.B. Somalia 1994 |
Then, I turned around to this
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| Abdelkébir Rabi 2011 |
Abedelkébit Rabi (born in 1944: works and lives in Casablanca.
I agree that it reminds us of many artists. Apparently he works very fast and I can hear some of you say « it looks like it » - but not to me. There is a structure in this painting and of course seeing it in a space of its own, nothing crowded it and you could see more. Or perhaps, read more into it.
Mohamed Melehi (1936 - works and lives in Assilah. Remember our visit?) He was a member of a group which started the abstract art movement in Morocco. The wave motif is a signature of his work as far as I could see and would probably be recognizable in the future. Remembering his name is another matter.
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| Mohamed Melehi Incliné B 2008 |
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| Mohamed Melehi No title 2001 |
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| Mohamed Melehi - no title 2013 |
El Khalil El Gherib (born in 1948 and lives and works in Asilah and Tanger)
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| El Khalil El Gherib - Lichen |
Even the artist says that he is difficult to describe. « I’m not a painter, but an artist » He picks up things around him, like the lichen here, and used what he finds in his work….
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| Mohamed Tabbal- No title or date |
Mohamed Tabbal (born in 1959 in Essaouira and works there).
His work seems to be full of ambiguous objects and faces. At the beginning, I only saw one face and then I began to see dozens.
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| Fatima Aijou - 2013 |
Fatima Aijou (born in 1972 in Morocco and now lives in Laayoune)
She had no training at all. Her work is captivating for me. So alive, full of color and once again weird shapes seem to force their way out of her work almost as if they came from another planet.
André Elbaz (born 1934 in El Jaddia and now works and lives in Narbonne)
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| André Elbaz - 2008 But who tore Emma's dress? |
This painting called
« And who tore Emma’s dresses?" What an actor to give a work such a title. From the other work I saw, he seems to be experimenting with different shapes and materials. He apparently creates from old paintings of his….now that’s an idea….
Younès El Kharraz (born 1966 in Assilah where he lives and works) . We are told that he is strongly influenced by Matisse and Soutine. Perhaps Picasso who painted his portraits face on and profile - even if it it is sometimes difficult to see this. This artist treats his anonymous portraits in the same way. Look at this closely, it’s not one face….
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| Younès El Kharraz -2013-2014 - Anonymois |
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| Yasmina Ziyat - No title 2013 |
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| Yasmina Ziyat - No title 2013 |
Yasmina Ziyat (born in 1983 and now lives in Kénitra)
Her
work I really fell for. This was in lace and cotton on a transparent
tissue. She also uses a lot of used material like wire, papers, torn
tissues, bits of electric wire. Her three dimensional work is
neither sculpture or painting but seems to be tiny assemblages. I found
it enchanting.
Aderrahim Yamou (born in 1959 ine Casablanca and now works between Paris and Morocco.)
This too I fell in love with. Although she has a doctorate in sociology from the Sorbonne, she opted to dedicate her life to her art. There is figuration, abstract and also obviously organic matter in her work. I felt it was a third dimensional piece but no, just a wonderful mound of blue. My photograph doesn't look that way - but I don't like to retouch....
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| Abderrahim Yamou - Amas Bleus 2012 |
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| Mohamed Anzaoui - Series NO WAY 2013 |
Mohamed Anzaoui (born in 1964 in Asilah where he lives and works).
He began his life as an artist in children’s workshops. Doesn’t this conjure up a wonderful creature right out of a story tale? His world is one that could be upsetting and yet smiles at us at the same time.
Max Boufathal (Born in 1983 in Paris and lives and works in Irissarry).
Reading the page on him, he sounds as if his work is very much linked to mythology and politics. His dog, which is a pretty frightening creature has also been made out of recycled material. He’s a strange creature just as are his masks.
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| Max Boufathal - The Challenger 2014 |
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| Max Boufathal Serment Demoncrite,d'Hippocrate,d'Aristote 2010 |
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| Max Bennani - No Title 2011: Khol and marble powder on canvass |
Max Bennani (born in 1943 in Tetouan. Works and lives in Kénitra)
A sculpter and a painter, he also studied at the International City university in Paris.fascinated by primitives materials, jute canvas, wood, bones and leather, he tries to give his work some kind of shape as his twists it into a new life.
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| Lahcen Iwi - 8 Nature -2012 |
Lahcen Iwi - another sculpter fascinated by recupertion. Don't ask me to sit down please....
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| Bouchta El Hayani 1989 |
Bouchta El Hayani (born in 1952. Lives and works in Rabat)
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| Bouchta El Hayani 1989 |
He
is a teacher in « arts plastiques » in Rabat and has been for over 30
years. What I like so much about his work, ialthough abstract, there is a
strength and energy in it and it seems to explode from the canvass.
Eric Van Hove (Born in Algeria in 1975 and lives and works between Brussels and Marrakech). Above all a poet and a traveller. That is why this work is so surprising. It is a reconstitution of 465 pieces of a an engine in different materials (metals, ivory, textiles….) and created with 40 Moroccan artisans. This engine, developed by Mercedes was suppose to equip the Fulgura, a sports car to be entirely constructed in Morocco. Well, Eric finished the work for Mercedes, if you see what I mean.
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| Eric Van Hove 2013 |
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| Eric Van Hove 2013 |
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| Faouzi Laatiris - Al Ghoul 2014 |
Faouzi Laatiris (born in 1958. Lives ad works in Martil)
Although apparently a teacher, he is a hermit and lives on a beach - somewhere - very badly affected by the political situation in that area he became even more isolated. In fact he made it publicly known that he was « moving out of this world ». Fortunately just an attitude but obviously a statement as well.
Mohamed El Baz (born in 1967 in Ksiba. Lives and works in Lille). He was trained in France and is thought to be one of the most creative artists of his generation. His work is autobiographic, fun and related to faces, bodies and spaces from his memory banks. This work also questions the « Arab Springtime" revolt.
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| Mohamed El Baz - La Ronde de Nuit 2014 |
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| Safaa Erruas - Pillowcases 2005 |
Safaa Erruas (born in 1976. Works and lives in Tetouan)
When you first look at her work, it seems like something which would be nice to nestle into. It is not. A symbol of violence, confusion ….all those problems linked to the body seem to be suggested. Sickness, political, uncertainty, what lies in front of us….She somehow manages with these pillows to create an emotional atmosphere.
Or perhaps
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| Abderrahim Yamou - Lilith 2010: wood and nails |
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| Abderrahim Yamou - |
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| Abderrahim Yamou - Lilith 2010: wood and nails |
Mohamed Zouzaf (born in 1955 in Esaouira where he lives and works).
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| Mohamed Zouzaf - Earth 2012 |
Doesn't it seem to be a mysterious use of symbols and colors? It’s geometric and probably inspired from the region he lives. They are weird signs and not necessarily arabic either.)
Lahcen Achik (born in 1970. Lives and works in Agadir)
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| Lahcen Achik - 2013 |
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| Lahcen Achik - 2014 |
I find this work delightful. Warm, welcoming, vibrant - quite enchanting.
Hassan Echair (born in 1964. Works and lives in Tétouan.
Once again a teacher at the Beaux Arts in Tétouan. This is a very curious work made out of charcoal. A "Carbonized caravan" moving forwards. Migration. Leaving to go elsewhere.
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| Hassan Echair - Carbonised Caravan 2004 | | | |
In much the same line and yet so different....
Abdellatif llkem-
They are not spiders and yet he has composed the title around spiders. Frankly close up, they look that way....
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| Abdellatif llkem Armaignées 2014 |
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| Abdellatif llkem Armaignées 2014 |
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Mohamed Aredjal Aôobor (born in 1984. Lives and works in Marrakech)
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| Mohamed Aredjal Âobor (Transit) Sénégal 2010 - Material sown |
This is made out of different cloth. The artist is also interested in photography videos and his work includes stories which separate or bring together different individuals . Here he is using materials which he found on his travels through Morocco, Mauritius and Senegal which make up imaginary zones, sowing them together…..
Saäd Ben Cheffaj (Born in 1939 in Tetouan where he lives and works)
He has go through several periods of neorealism, abstraction before coming to this which I personally find very poetic, abstract and yet realist at the same time - for me.
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| Saad Ben Cheffaj - The Kiss 2012 |
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| Saad Ben Cheffaj - Orgasme 2009 |
El Imam Djimi (born in 1970 in Agadir where he lives and works.)
When I first saw these paintings they seemed in a strange way to be aboriginal. That of course is not the case even if the space is related to his region and to the desert.
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| El Imam Djimi - 2007 and 2009 |
And
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| El Imam Djimi - 2013 |
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| El Imam Djimi - 2013 | | |
And
Fatima Aijou -
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| Fatima Aijou - 2013 : mixed methods |
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| Fatima Aijou - 2013 : mixed methods |
Tahiri (born in 1959 in Rabat where she lives and works)
After her studies in architecture in Paris, she opened an architecture office in Rabat. At the same time, she creates these enormous sculptures.Tahiri represented Morocco at the Biennale in Venice in 2005 and 2009, so perhaps we came across her work then.
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| Fathiya Tahiri - Cogitum 2010 |
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| Ajouter une légende |
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| Ajouter une légende |
Abdelkrim Ouazzani (born in 1954 in Tetouan where he lives and works)
Once
again, someone who has trained in France, returned to Morocco and
become a teacher. His world is one of fun and games, harmony and colors,
joyful sculptures….there is grace there and one can only smile.
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| Saïd Ouarzaz - 2012 |
Saïd Ouarzaz (born in 1965 in the Essaouria region where he lives and works).
No training at all but he started his career with sculptures but then went onto painting very rapidly. It’s not unlike a Pollock but look closely and you will see abstract figures there. His work too is full of fun, when you look at it closely.
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| Saïd Ouarzaz - 2012 |
Noureddine Amir - a line of extraordinary dress and clothes from this artist.
She incorporates kitchen objects and daily life into her work, which certainly makes it unique. She works in Marrakech.
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| Her work as a line up |
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| Noureddine Amir - Caftan 2003 Coloured Rafia and henné |
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| Noureddine Amir - dress 2010 |
Batoul S'himi (born in 1974 in Asilah and lives and works in Martil).
In her installations, she uses symbolic forms and colors which we see and use ourselves ever day. Her work is provocative and certainly does not leave you indifferent.
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| Batoul S'himi - Arab world under pressure - 5 axes 2014 |
There were many other artists and videos. One really marvelous one
http://vimeo.com/67525000 -
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| Younès Atbane, Zouhair Atbane, Omar Sabrou :2013 9oualab |
or PIXYLONE 9oua-lab and is well worth looking at. I had taken several videos myself but for some reason they will not synchronized with my computer. Another reason for going back.....
It’s a collective work and this one is made of sugar loaf. The effect is magic.
I don’t imagine that many of you will have read the little I have said about each artist. I think these tiny descriptions were for me. I will certainly never remember the names and yet this work is unique. Creative, and from my point of view makes me look at contemporary art in a very different way. Another point, is that they have often comes from towns I have visited - and which were when I visitied them, instinctively artistic. I am not disappointed - even thinking it would be nice to see them again....
The little of what I have shown you here is probably not even half of the exhibition. Videos, installations, music -
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| Carpets, the symbol |
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| Amina Agueznay - Skin 2011 |
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| Amina Agueznay - Skin 2011 |
thank you Monsieur Jacques Lang - if this is a new beginning for the Arab Institute, it’s a very exciting one.
I forgot. This is the tent opening up into the new world that I have discovered. I must go back and venture into it.
And so I will leave you with what may be some rather ferocious dogs, but they are barking at me and appealing to me to come back.....
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| Abdellatif llkem Dogs 2013 |
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