The Gebs, or the art of plaster sculpture
This ancient sculpting technique magnifies plaster, mainly for ornamental and architectural purposes. Gebs usually covers the upper part of walls, but also decorates arcades, ceilings and domes. It consists in the composition in relief of calligraphic texts or geometric motifs: friezes, interlacing or rosettes, for example. It can be admired in some of the country's most beautiful buildings, such as the royal palace in Rabat or the kasbah in Télouet. Its white or pinkish color is sometimes tinted, painted or gilded, giving rise to charged, powerful motifs, as in the royal palace at Fez. To achieve such results, the manufacturing process is long and painstaking. First, the plaster is spread in a thick, even layer on the wall surface, spiked with nails for better hold. The plaster's relatively long drying time then allows the masters to conscientiously sculpt the material. But before the plaster is cut and sculpted with chisels, burins and gouges, the motifs are traced using drypoint, ruler, compass, templates and stencils. The smooth mass is gradually transformed into refined lace, to the delight of visitors.
Tattooing, a festive practice
Once an identification sign or magic badge, tattoos have now lost their original meaning and have become mainly decorative. It remains nevertheless very popular and is mostly practiced during religious celebrations or family ceremonies, by infiltration of needles or more frequently by simple superficial drawing. The most common tattoos are drawn on the hands, feet or face and represent zelliges or black fishnets that underline the clarity of the skin. Ephemeral tattoos are most often done using harkous, a stick impregnated with charcoal ashes and spices, and only last for the duration of a party.
Moroccan visual arts, a back and forth between figuration and abstraction
Two events have profoundly marked the country's pictorial memory: the Islamisation of Morocco in the 9th century and colonisation from 1912 onwards. Pre-Islamic art, which gave an important place to representations of scenes of life and which deeply marked the pictorial memory of the country, is seen, with the Islamization, dominated by the Arab-Muslim art which prohibits any form of representation of animals and human beings. The latter, of immeasurable richness, finds its expression in complex geometric shapes and patterns, representations of the plant world and calligraphy. Calligraphers write with a calamus, a reed pen whose size determines the style of writing. As for the ink, it is traditionally made from the soot deposited by the smoke of candles in openings made in the top of the walls of mosques. The scribe corrects mistakes with the tip of his tongue and dries his work with fine sand that he keeps in his writing case
Easel painting was born later, when the protectorate was established. It is in a way a return to the roots in that it manifests itself through the representation, once again, of scenes of daily life. The 20th century thus saw the emergence of talented artists who circumvented religious prohibitions. Naïve art developed throughout the 20th century, reaching its peak in the 1960s and 1970s. Mohammed Ben Ali R'Bati (1861-1939) can be cited in this trend. The latter was able to represent with a touching naivety all aspects of Tangier life, from daily life to festivities, not hesitating to penetrate the intimacy of homes, which at the time was difficult to access, especially for a man. Mohamed Hamri (1932-2000), a Tangier figure, also played a key role in Moroccan painting, and shows a form of naivety more stylized than that of the paintings of R'Bati. Other painters moved away from figuration and linked themselves to the international modern movements that favoured abstraction. Ahmed Cherkaoui (1934-1967), whose fame goes beyond the borders of Morocco, is one of the precursors of Moroccan modernism. His work, which was prematurely interrupted at the height of his career, had a profound impact on the country's artistic history. At the intersection of his Arab and Berber heritage and the major international modern trends, this artist developed a personal language of great symbolic richness. His work can be admired at the Mohammed VI Museum in Rabat, where a major retrospective was held in 2018.
Morocco, a muse for Western artists
Whether writers, poets or painters, many foreign artists have been enchanted by the charm of Moroccan cities. The Red City fascinated many Western painters of the 19th and 20th centuries, intoxicated by the Orientalist adventure. This heritage has certainly helped Morocco to shine throughout the world, but, as Farid Belkaia, Director of the Beaux-Arts de Casablanca, points out, it has also had the effect of replacing Moroccan culture and eclipsing local artists.
Orientalist painting" is the term used to describe paintings produced by Europeans in Africa, the Near East or Asia. The genre originated in the late 19th century, with Romantic painters such as Eugène Delacroix, who sought reminiscences of the ancient way of life in Moroccan culture. Their idealized European vision of everyday scenes is expressed in images with an enchanting atmosphere. A historic point of contact between North African and European cultures, Casablanca is considered by many historians to be a flagship city of Orientalism.
Sent on a mission by King Louis-Philippe to the Sultan Moulay Abderrahmane, Eugène Delacroix found the kingdom a new source of inspiration. Among his many works produced in Morocco, La Noce juive au Maroc (1841) exhibited at the Palais du Luxembourg is as impressive as his watercolor Fantasia(1832) at the Louvre. Similarly, his series of hunting scenes with the Sultan of Morocco (1845) have remained famous. Delacroix thus contributed to the spread of the exotic oriental trend among Romantic painters.
Later, it was Henri Matisse who fell in love with the country, particularly Tangier, which he discovered in 1912. Captivated by the "oriental splendors" of which Baudelaire speaks in L'Invitation au voyage, the artist produced over sixty works, giving his painting a new dimension in color harmony. He painted clearly identifiable figures, as in Le Rifain debout (1912), or simply suggested them in an ocean of blue, as in Café marocain (1912-1913).
Other famous French Orientalist painters include Jacques Majorelle, whose two monumental paintings can be seen at the Wilaya headquarters, Henri Pontoy and Edmond Vallès.
Moroccan photography, a slow affirmation
In the 19th century, the country remained relatively closed compared to its North African neighbors, and photography took hold relatively late, as many Europeans, eager to document the world, took up the practice, accompanied by scientists, historians and writers. In a pivotal period, they captured the first images of a Kingdom as yet little known to Westerners, immortalizing its fortified villages, kasbahs, mountains and Saharan provinces. In the 1880s, the country opened up further, and several photographers set up studios here. Initially mainly used for administrative and heritage purposes, photography was mainly limited to landscapes and monuments. Henri de Lamartinière, a French diplomat, archaeologist and photographer sent on a mission to the region, documented the Roman ruins of Volubilis, helping to raise their profile.
It was only later that a more aesthetic form of photography began to develop, in particular the photography of "typical scenes", at the crossroads between ethnographic concern and exoticism. Nevertheless, Moroccan Muslims remained hostile to this art form, which went against the religious ban on human representations and was perceived as an attack on their integrity and faith. Between the wars, the Frenchman Gabriel Veyre, appointed photographer to Sultan Mouley Abd el Aziz, played an important role in the development of photography. He took hundreds of pictures of the country and its inhabitants, and was one of the first to capture local daily life in a natural way. To admire these images from another era, we recommend a visit to Marrakech's Maison de la Photographie, which showcases the country's diversity through the eyes of famous and anonymous photographers, from the beginnings of photography to the modern era (1879-1960).
In the second half of the 20th century, photography was democratized and no longer reserved for a Western elite. Today, the country boasts a number of international figures and exhibition venues (don't miss Galerie 127 in Marrakech!). It is now seen as an art form in its own right, rather than just a means of documentation, and boasts a large number of practitioners. Hassan Hajjaj, born in 1961 in Larache and now based between the UK and his native country, is one of the leading exponents of contemporary Moroccan photography. His two cultures are expressed in a work of hybridization. His colorful style shows a particular interest in fashion, and critically explores its contradictions, between expressions of identity and consumerism.
A contemporary art in full bloom
Unfortunately, most tourist itineraries do not include contemporary art museums and other places dedicated to contemporary culture. Yet Moroccan art has come a long way, revealing a great deal about the country and the changes it is currently undergoing. Figurative art is no longer taboo, and the younger generations are particularly daring, ready to tackle the social and political problems facing the country. Inequality, sexism, immigration, climate change: these artists see themselves as analysts of contemporary Moroccan issues, which they don't hesitate to put on the table, sometimes provocatively.
Despite the challenges it faces, the art sector is slowly but surely gaining strength. Many Moroccan curators working in international museums are promoting the work of their compatriots internationally, and at the same time the country is gradually asserting itself as a regional artistic hub, increasingly connected to its North African and sub-Saharan neighbors. The Arab Spring of 2011 played a major role in getting things moving, not only rekindling interest among foreigners, but also enabling artists to realize the role they could play in expressing their views through art.
To name but one, Lalla Essaydi, born in 1956 in Marrakech, is a leading Moroccan visual artist and photographer. She grew up in Morocco and Saudi Arabia, and now lives between New York, Boston and Marrakech. A graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, she is one of Morocco's most highly regarded artists. Her paintings can be found in the Louvre and the British Museum in London. Her work revolves around the figure of the Arab woman, deconstructing the feminine stereotypes portrayed in Orientalist painting.
Today, artistic activity is largely concentrated in Tangier. A few years ago, however, the absence of galleries and spaces dedicated to the arts was lamentable. A lot has been achieved since then, thanks to a number of motivated players determined to get things moving. These include l'Uzine, the Dar d'art gallery and the Conil gallery, which opened on the premises of the former Volubilis gallery on Place de la Kasbah. The aim of these spaces is to promote Moroccan artists and give them visibility. So, if Morocco can boast of giving birth to renowned artists, Tangier can be proud of having people capable of spotting artists and showcasing their work. Other key contemporary art venues in Morocco are located in the major cities, such as the Musée Mohammed VI and the Villa des arts in Rabat, the Musée de la palmeraie and the recent and already unmissable Musée d'Art Contemporain Africain Al Maaden in Marrakech.
Street art, a new means of expression for the younger generation
In recent years, street art has become increasingly popular in the Kingdom. Disrupting the established codes, young people have found a means of expression that gives them the freedom and freedom of expression they lack in their daily lives. The country now has many young talents such as Kalamour, the duo Placebostudio (composed of Brick top and Abid), Rebel Spirit or Mevok. Initially frowned upon by the authorities and older generations, this rebellious art has gradually been tamed, to the point of becoming a real instrument of urban revitalization. Huge frescoes subsidized by institutions or municipalities now decorate the streets of major cities, but not only. Indeed, if Casablanca is undoubtedly the queen of street art, other cities such as Essaouira, Marrakech and Rabat are not left behind, and even small towns such as Azemour, Asilah, Youssoufia, Safi and Benguerrir display the joyful colors of this street art.
To admire these moving and often impressive works, it is difficult to give you a precise itinerary, since it is an ephemeral art by nature. The white city is nevertheless a must, and especially the district of Mâarif, which is considered as the HQ of the graffiti artists. There is a beautiful fresco of the legendary singer Oum Kalthoum, signed by Placebostudio, which holds a record of longevity.
In addition, for several years now, Casamouja, a street art festival, has been held and has become an essential event in the cultural calendar of Casablanca. Artists from all over the world are invited for this occasion, invited to color the metropolis alongside their Moroccan colleagues. The Oulmes traffic circle is one of the hotspots of this event. In parallel to this consecration, the Moroccan street art has now its place on the art market. Many galleries host street art exhibitions, and even the Mohammed VI Museum has offered its walls. This new legitimacy allows a practice that was originally deviant to be considered as an art in its own right!
