The other story

Cobra Museum, Amstelveen

April 15 – September 18, 2022

Curator: Abdelkader Benali

 

In the summer of 2022, guest curator Abdelkader Benali (1975) will fill the Cobra Museum of Modern Art in Amstelveen with Moroccan art. For the first time in the Netherlands, some 40 Moroccan artists will be brought together to provide an overview of the development of Moroccan modern art from the country’s independence in 1956 to the present day. With artists such as Nour-Eddine Jarram (1956), Khalil Nemmaoui (1967) and Wafae Ahalouch el Keriasti (1978).

 

The independence in 1956 also marked the birth of Moroccan modern art. A renewed self-awareness among Moroccan artists arose. By now, a new young and exciting generation of artists has taken its place on the international stage. Abdelkader Benali’s passion for the visual arts, but also for ‘the other story about Morocco’ can be experienced in the Cobra Museum. Benali takes the visitor on a journey through his personal observations. Around 80 works on themes such as decolonisation, spirituality, gender and migration are brought together in the museum galleries.

 

Mutual influences

Artists like Matisse and Delacroix were inspired by Morocco in their artistic practice and the Moroccan influences are clearly visible in their works. In their search for new forms, Moroccan artists, in turn, were inspired by such movements as Bauhaus in Western Europe and Pop Art in the United States. Khalil Nemmaoui, Untitled #11 from the series The Tree House – 2010, Courtesy of Khalil Nemmaoui

 

From past to present

The Djema-el-Fna, Marrakech’s world-famous square, has always been the domain of storytellers. On this square, a group of young artists from Casablanca organised the first open-air exhibition in 1969 as a protest against the fossilised museum system. The Moroccan modern artists wanted to stay close to the Moroccan people and tell their stories. In the younger generation, too, we see the effect of this desire to tell stories about major themes such as migration, sexuality and spirituality, and in doing so they do not hesitate to challenge taboos. Whether the artists from this young generation have attended art school or are self-taught, they instinctively find their way to the old forms, the new forms of the current and future age. The start of the modern movement in Morocco is closely linked to the literary magazine Souffles, in which the artists were introduced. There is a clear understanding that the art movement comprises more than just visual art, it also includes other disciplines such as poetry and design.

 

Celebration and reflection

During this exhibition, the Cobra Museum does not only pay attention to Moroccan Modern Art; other art forms will be featured as well. In collaboration with various cultural partners from Amstelveen and the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, the museum sheds light on Moroccan dance, theatre, music, poetry, film, urban culture, design, sport and fashion. Various parties are invited to give meaning to their critical, atmospheric, or cheerful celebration of Moroccan art and culture. During the Ramadan (April 2022), the Cobra Museum will provide for the Iftar, the meal eaten by Muslims during the fasting month immediately after sunset. Everybody is welcome to enjoy this meal together.