Modern Moroccan art exhibited in the Netherlands

Amsterdam – A collection highlighting seven decades of Moroccan modern art, its currents and multiple tributaries is exhibited at the Cobra Museum of Modern Art in Amstelveen in the Netherlands, in partnership with the National Museum Foundation (FNM).

The exhibition, which will be open to the public until September 18, is placed under the sign “the other story: Moroccan modernism”. About forty works from the FNM collection are presented there. A first in the Netherlands, which for the occasion welcomes Moroccan artists who have made the trip to discuss the evolution of modern Moroccan art from Morocco's independence in 1956 to the present day.

The collection is made up of major artists of Moroccan painting such as Malika Agueznay, Talal Chaïbia, Mohamed Chabaa, Mohamed Drissi, Maoual Bouchaib, Mohamed Melehi, Farid Belkahia, Abdellah Fakhar, Daouad Aoulad-Sayed, Essaydi Lalla and Abbès Saladi.

"The Moroccan art scene is exceptionally rich, and it is our duty to participate in the dissemination of our art and to make it known in the world," FNM president Mehdi told MAP. Qotbi on the occasion of the opening, Thursday evening, of this exhibition attended by the Moroccan ambassador to the Netherlands, Mohamed Basri, the writer Fouad Laroui, artists and many visitors.

Highlighting the importance of "cultural diplomacy", Mr. Qotbi stressed that the role of the National Museums Foundation is also to "promote Moroccan art and artists beyond our borders".

"This exhibition testifies in this respect to the contribution that the FNM can make to highlight Moroccan painters in the world", he continued, assuring that this work of building bridges between art institutions won't stop there.

Mr. Qotbi recalled that it was not the first that the FNM forged partnerships of this type, a similar exhibition devoted to Moroccan art from independence to the present day having been organized at the Reina Sofia museum in Madrid. "We are also preparing a major exhibition of the common archaeological heritage with Spain on May 24," he said.

For Abdelkader Benali, curator of the exhibition, this event is “a great platform to present to the Dutch public the richness and evolution of modern Moroccan art over time”.

“We are aware of the quality and international notoriety of Moroccan artists, and we aspire to promote Moroccan modern art to the Dutch public, eager for different artistic currents”, he underlined.

And to note that the choice of the participating works was not easy, because of the richness of the Moroccan artistic scene and the talents of which it abounds.

''We have taken care to select paintings and creations by both pioneering artists and others from the new school to show this continuity over time of Moroccan art, whose themes touch on a wide spectrum of influences and inspirations,” he explained.

An observation shared by the director of the Cobra Museum of Modern Art, Stefan van Raay, who said he was impressed by the diversity and richness of Moroccan art and by the cultural contribution of Dutch writers, artists, stylists and directors. Moroccan origin.

''This is where the idea of ​​showing this culture to the Dutch public was born,'' he said, stressing that ''Moroccan art is particularly versatile, fresh, young and ancestral at the same time. . An art that tells stories and a culture that has been able to irrigate with other influences.

As part of the realization of the partnership with the Cobra Museum, the National Museums Foundation will host in 2023 an exhibition entitled ''A Multi-headed Snake'', on loan from the collection of the Cobra Museum which will be exhibited at the Mohammed VI Museum in modern and contemporary art.

On the sidelines of this event, the President of the FNM visited a number of prestigious museums in the Netherlands and spoke with heads of museum institutions about ways to establish and strengthen cooperation and exchanges with the National Foundation of museums.