Finally… The 1.54 fair, after three years of a long interruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic, returns to its beautiful setting at La Mamounia, a grand palace in Marrakech. An eagerly awaited return for Touria El Glaoui, the founder of this commercial event which highlights African and diaspora artists. Marrakech is also the city of his father, the famous painter Hassan El Glaoui. If she first launched 1.54 (1 continent, 54 countries) in London in 2013, then declined an annual edition in New York, in her eyes, this edition, in Marrakech, is essential and marks her anchorage on the continent. .

For this fourth edition, the fair welcomes 20 international art galleries, 12 of which are participating for the first time, notably the large Templon gallery, but also the 193 and Carole Kvaneski galleries and the Superposition gallery in Miami. Of the nine galleries based on the continent, Moroccan women are arriving in force: Gallery 127, L’Atelier 21, Loft Art Gallery, Gallery 38. The others come from South Africa, Angola or the Côte d’ Ivory.

This 2023 edition allows you to discover the works of more than 60 artists – paintings, sculptures, photographs, mixed media, installations. Among the artists who are presented for the first time at the Marrakech fair are the Kenyan photographer Thandiwe Muriu, the Franco-Algerian Maya Inès Touam (photographer-visual artist), but also painters who already have a good career like Barthélémy Toguo and Omar Ba. Templon, who runs a large stand at the entrance, explains that she now represents more African or diaspora artists, which largely explains her presence in Marrakech.

For her first participation in 1.54 Marrakech, gallery owner Carole Kvaneski, who appreciates the atmosphere and the energy of this fair and the city, is delighted. “It’s a very good start, the public is there, it’s a small fair (by its size) but a big fair by its selection and its dynamism, in particular thanks to Touria El Glaoui”, comments the gallerist. From the opening, two works by the Malian artist Ibrahim Ballo, whom she represents, were sold. On the stand, Ibrahim Diallo, who made the trip from Bamako, explains with pleasure his approach, a mix between painting and weaving, which is inspired by the work of the women of his village. The young artist rubs shoulders with his teacher, Abdoulaye Konaté, who also came for the occasion, represented by gallery 38, with a very beautiful piece that unfolds over an entire section of the wall.

Around this event, the whole city of Marrakech plays the card of contemporary art. “We put a lot of effort to come back to Marrakech,” comments Touria El Glaoui. We have added to the fair a series of conferences and events in partnership with local cultural institutions and platforms,” she insists.

Thus, the city’s galleries offered “The Night of the Galleries” on February 9, offering the public an evening rich in discoveries and exhibitions. At the Comptoir des mines, the large public rushed to discover the works of Yasmina Alaoui which were spread over several floors. Around the theme of femininity, the artist skillfully uses multiple mediums: photographs, paintings, sculptures. In the same district, in front of the influx of the public, the CDA Gallery, which offers a solo show by Yvanovitch Mbaya, a Congolese painter living in Casablanca, postponed its closing to 10:30 p.m.

In addition to the galleries, the city’s institutions and places of culture highlight African and diaspora artists. Thus, the Macaal (Al-Maaden Museum of Contemporary African Art) presents “Our Land Just Like A Dream”. In this exhibition, the Malagasy artist Joël Andrianomearisoa explored Moroccan craftsmanship and took over all the spaces of the museum while creating a dialogue with a selection of works from the museum collection. In the new trendy place of Marrakech, at Jajjah, the arty tea room of Hassan Hajaj, are exhibited the young photographers Ismail Zaidy and Hasnae El Ouarga.

For its part, the artistic residence Al Maqam offers guided tours of the studios of Fatiha Zemmouri, Yamou and Mbarek Bouchichi.

The ocher city is also hosting the first African Book Festival (FLAM) at the same time, an opportunity for the two fairs to forge a partnership and propose a discussion around the theme “decolonizing culture”. In a few years, Morocco has become one of the most dynamic artistic scenes on the African continent and Marrakech in winter, a popular meeting place.