6th Marrakech Biennale 2016

Traces

Curator: Reem Fadda

February 24th – 8th May 2016

The opening week 24-28 February
Press preview 23 February

Reem Fadda has been working as the Associate Curator, Middle Eastern Art with the Guggenheim Foundation in New York on their Abu Dhabi Project for the past 5 years.

Fadda’s curatorial approach has largely been more cross-disciplinary and focused on contemporary topics in the Middle East, especially those pertaining to art, architecture, space, history and geopolitics.

For MB6, Fadda is envisioning to expand on a Pan-African vision, one that is mapped through histories theories and practices manifest across the entire continent and beyond. Reem Fadda will develop a conceptual framework around the theme “Traces”, according to which a variety of artists and projects will invited to the exhibition.

By adding the free entrance as well as the art in public spaces program, MB6 seeks to realize the concept of ”Art for all” by bringing the Biennale to a wider public and out to the streets of Marrakech.

By prolonging the exhibition period to a full 11 weeks, the Biennale will span over the spring season of tourism and hence be acccesible to more visitors; visiting foreigners and busy Marrakechis alike.

Concept of “Traces”

The concept of ”Traces” has been the subject of much research and experimentation in the world of contemporary art. In Marrakech, we have the imression that there is a an urgency to seize the multiple meanings of this word.

Marrakech is more and more becoming a city of art  and culture,  literally  bubbling  with  cultural and  artistic activities  offered  at  its  many  events and cultural venues. Whereas earlier, the Red City distinguished itself by its historical legacy, it now radiates with artistic and cultural appeal.

This diverse and sometimes dissonant profusion, is  in  the  actual  constitution  of the  city’s cultural vitality. As such, it needs to be as much encouraged, as dealt with caution. The Marrakech Biennale has contributed by establishing this fine balance, and should also contribute by dictating the major issues.

Traces….the choice of this theme is meant as a way to welcome this current path but also as a way to underline the importance of culture and art in the imperative dialogue between the city’s past, present and future.

We have chosen three semantic units to serve as guides for our curators and artists:

Origins …the symbolic understanding the word «Traces»  brings  us  back  to  both  the  question  of identity as that of ”metissage”. It’s more tangible meaning  invites  us  to  think  of  signs,  signatures and  fingerprints.  The  source  is  undoubtedly one of  multiple  identities:  Marrakech  is  such  a diverse oasis, which offers different appearances depending  of  who  perceives  it.   It  invites  us  to draw on the cultural roots of the city: Islamic, Arab, Amazigh, African, Hispanic, Jewish … It is in short this historical and contemporary multiculturalism through which the artists will do their exploration of the cultural footprint; the origins.

Movements…the word evokes memory as well as retrospection. It invites the artists to work on their creations in the duality of space and time. It  also  includes  the  concept  journey,  intimate journey, imaginary, virtual, visual and urban routes. The audience, just like the gaze, move from one space to another, from inside to outside and vice versa, from a given space and time to another. Digital-  and  visual  arts  will  be  used  in  public spaces for their ability to interact with the space and time.

Dialogues….between  an  empty  moment  and  a full  one:  in  search  of   that unsettling moment that will forever transform the given environment and  its participants. This  third  foundation  of  our research  will  be  that  of  the  meeting between different  disciplines,  media  and  forms;  between the artist and the public; between the artist and the urban space. Dialogue is the cornerstone that will guarantee both the anchoring of the works, in our urban and cultural landscape, as well as their capacity to remain illusory.

Lastly we point out that, in our invitation to reflect over the question of Traces (and its extension of Origins, Movements  and  Dialogue) this topic is equally valid for an examination in an international perspective,  as they are relevant for Marrakech of today.