current residents
Studio 5
(Artist, Morocco/Meknes)
From 01/02/24 - 01/02/25
Nabil Himich works at the intersection of architecture and literature to investigate political themes. By juxtaposing painting, installation, writing, drawing, sculpture, and participatory forms, his multi-layered work broaches themes such as the singular and the multiple, unequal structures, psychogeography, and the poetics of enclosure. He often adopts notions such as ‘con-texture’ and ‘archi-texture’ to provide deconstructive schemes for thoughts and actions. These notions are also conceptual tools for narratives around the production and formation of place, the distribution of territory and knowledge, and class issues and representation.
Nabil Himich is a multidisciplinary artist and graduate of the Institut National Des Beaux Arts (Tétouan 2020), based in Marrakech.
Studio 6
Khadija El-Abyad
(Artist, Morocco/Agadir)
From 01/02/24 - 01/02/25
Over the past seven years, El-Abyad has developed a practice woven around her cultural and social contexts. This practice forms an ongoing research into how social constructs are experienced and embodied. Intimate, often worn, material
constructions in various dimensions constitute the main body of her work, which she addresses as ‘body screens’. Her artworks are enriched by materials produced by the body - most notably the artist’s hair - as a symbolic gesture of extending the body. Commitments, obligations, and expectations, as well as engendered future(s), are played out within objects and performances that incorporate the vital materials of everyday life.
Khadija el Abyad is a multidisciplinary visual artist and graduate of the Institut National des Beaux Arts (Tétouan 2017). She lives and works nomadically between places, such as Casablanca.
Studio 8
Koharu Yamaguchi
(Blacksmith, Japan)
&
Shinya Kobayashi
(Artist, Japan)
From 28/01/24 - 08/02/2024
with the support of MUJUN Japan.
Mujun is a design and craft collective living and working in the rural Japan where traditional craft industry still exists. They are a team of designers and young craftsmen who specialize in knife making.
In 2008, they started their design practices, and have worked with craftsmen in different fields. Their clients are experienced veteran craftsmen who have been perfecting their skills for a long time. Their role as a design company is to modernize the beauty of their crafts for the wider audience.
Redesigning the crafts was not enough to reach the new market. Craftsmen needed more help. They needed to create a stronger brand to stay competitive in the market. More importantly, many of the craftsmen are getting too old to continue working while most of them did not have young apprentices to inherit the work of craftsmanship.
Studio 9
Fayçal Tiaïba/Laberinto(Architect, Algeria/France)
&
Khalid Boulaadam
(Artist, Morocco/Safi)
From 01/02/24 - 01/02/25
Upcoming residents
Nástio Mosquito
(Artist, Portugal/Angola )
From 21/05/24 - 27/05/24
Nástio Mosquito’s (born 1981 in Luanda/Angola) work is characterized by its cross-genre multifacetedness. Film, music, theatre, video, and installation blend into one another to form a dense performative-digital poetry of image and language.
In 2014, he was awarded the Future Generation Art Prize. He lives and works in Ghent, Belgium.
Lara Baladi
(Artist, Lebanon/Egypt)
Second visit from 15/05/24 - 31/05/24
An acclaimed Egyptian-Lebanese photographer, archivist and multimedia artist, Lara Baladi co-founded of the Arab Image Foundation (AIF). Her body of work encompasses photography, video, visual montages/collages, installations, architectural constructions, tapestries, sculptures and even perfume.
During the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, Baladi co-founded two media initiatives: Radio Tahrir and Tahrir Cinema. .
Jelle Seegers
(Designer, Netherlands)
From 15/05/24 - 30/06/24
With the support of Embassy of the Netherlands in Morocco.
Makes solar and human powered tools and machines, allowing himself and others to make beautiful, long lasting things in a sustainable way.
MAMMA
(Architects, Morocco)
From 15/06/24 - ongoing
- Marrakech Modern Map Workshop follow-up coming in June-
MAMMA is an NGO dedicated to promoting and celebrating Moroccan art, architecture, and urbanism from the second half of the 20th century. Their primary mission is to shed light on the innovative work of a pioneering generation of modern architects.
Their goals encompass three main areas:
- Preservation and Enhancement: They strive to preserve and enhance the modern artistic, architectural, and urban heritage of Morocco. By recognizing the value of these cultural treasures, they work towards their protection and conservation.
- Awareness and Advocacy: They aim to raise awareness among the public about the importance of safeguarding this heritage. They advocate for its significance in order to foster a collective sense of responsibility towards preserving and maintaining these cultural assets for future generations.
- Interdisciplinary Engagement: They encourage the exchange of perspectives and collaboration across different disciplines regarding this heritage. They foster a dynamic dialogue between the past and contemporary reflections, embracing both the present and future visions.