For this yr’s 1-54 Up to date African Artwork truthful in Marrakech, 30 galleries from all around the world arrange stands at La Mamounia, the palatial luxurious lodge on the sting of the town’s chaotic medina, in addition to the artwork occasions house Dada simply off Jemaa el-Fnaa, the primary sq., which is stuffed by day with meals stalls and performers catering to vacationers.
The 1-54 gala’s had been established by director Touria El Glaoui, born and raised in Morocco—and the daughter of Hassan El Glaoui, one of many nation’s most celebrated trendy artists—to highlight work by African artists and the continent’s diaspora. The identify is a reference to the 54 international locations in Africa. Half of the exhibitors at this version of 1-54 Marrakech are primarily based on the African continent, a better price than is typical on the truthful’s bigger and longer-running editions in London and New York.
Together with the final mushy cutting-edge market, the commerce in works by artists from Africa has taken a success the previous few years. In 2024, public sale gross sales for Fashionable and up to date African artwork fell by 8.4% in keeping with ArtTactic, the artwork market analysis agency. Nevertheless, in keeping with Artwork Basel and UBS’s report on the artwork market in 2023—the newest yr with out there related knowledge—sellers working in African markets reported “combined gross sales” and an total gross sales decline of 1%, on par with South America and higher than some particular person European international locations like France and Germany.
“We have been very fortunate with 1-54 as a result of we’re so specialised and we’ve a mission. The way in which individuals see 1-54 could be very completely different,” El Glaoui says, including that work on the truthful tends to be priced extra competitively than at comparable gala’s.
Galleries reported robust gross sales in the course of the first day of the VIP preview on Thursday (30 January). Probably the most notable of the truthful’s opening day gross sales was the announcement that the Tate in London had acquired Ghanaian artist Amoako Boafo’s Clean stare (2021) portray from Accra’s Gallery 1957 because of the establishment’s Africa Acquisitions Committee Catalyst Fund.
“Thus far, so good,” El Glaoui stated the morning of the VIP preview. “We’ve got not been too affected by [the slower market], however I’m affected as an middleman as a result of the galleries do different worldwide artwork gala’s who’re struggling. It is a bit of a state of affairs the place we get the ripple impact, as a result of they did not have good years within the different gala’s.”
Marrakech’s MCC Gallery, collaborating within the truthful for the primary time, reported promoting six works priced between €4,000 and €12,000 (the stand options works by the artists Amine El Gotaibi, Mo Baala, Malika Sqalli and Houda Kabbaj). Gallerie 38, additionally from Marrakech, offered three works, together with an untitled 2025 portray by Younes Khourassani for round €13,000. Paris-based Nil Gallery offered two works by Sara Benabdallah for between €3,000 and €6,000 every, and two by Abdellah El Hariri for between €2,000 and €8,000 every. Galerie Farah Fakhri, from Côte d’Ivoire, offered two mixed-media works by Charles-David Gnangoran, also referred to as Chada: a tapestry Reperes (2025) for €15,000 and Sous le soleil for €9,000. The Paris-based Galerie 208 offered an untitled sculpture by the Moroccan painter Mahi Binebine for €15,000, whereas The Bridge Gallery, additionally from Paris, reported promoting a number of works for between €3,700 and €5,000 every (the gallery’s stand options works by Mene Ange Martial and Fadekemi Ogunsanya).
Flourishing galleries in Marrakech and past
One break within the clouds of the overcast artwork market is the expansion of artwork infrastructure in Morocco. Extra business galleries are opening whereas Moroccan artists have gotten extra in-demand at dwelling in addition to abroad, sellers say. Moroccan galleries are closely represented at 1-54 Marrakech, with homegrown galleries making up one-third of the truthful’s exhibitors, two extra stands than final yr.
The primary iteration of 1-54 Marrakech was held in 2018, and has been credited with serving to to invigorate the town’s artwork scene. Together with the truthful’s stands, this yr’s programming incorporates up to date artwork all around the metropolis. The truthful partnered with galleries in Marrakech’s upscale and trendy neighbourhood Guéliz to direct guests on an artwork stroll of native galleries and museums on Thursday night, with an unprecedented variety of concurrent night gallery openings within the metropolis, in keeping with the truthful’s organisers. El Glaoui says she’s most trying ahead to a efficiency by Marina Abramović protégé Miles Greenberg on the ruins of the Sixteenth-century El Badi Palace, which got here collectively on the final minute.
Galleries and cultural establishments throughout the town are additionally placing on their very own occasions and openings to coincide with 1-54. Throughout Marrakech’s souk within the medina, the previous metropolis, the Izza lodge is staging a bunch present with work by digital artists from the lodge’s personal assortment together with installations by the Moroccan artists Safaa Erruas, Amina Agueznay and Amina Benbouchta. The Saturday night time get together on the riad lodge to rejoice Izza’s artist residency is a sendoff for the truthful week.
“I’ve all the time been tremendous shocked that Morocco shouldn’t be on the highest record [of art destinations] simply due to the variety of residency programmes, public sale homes and galleries in each metropolis,” El Glaoui says. “It’s fixed when it comes to improvement in every of the large cities of Morocco. You’ve galleries in Tangiers, you’ve galleries in Casablanca and Rabat.”
The 1-54 Marrakech truthful itself is a significant draw for each native collectors and out-of-towners, notably from France—no shock given Morocco’s lengthy historical past as a French colony and the widespread use of the French language in nation. Wandering via the aisles on the truthful’s two places, it was extra widespread to listen to conversations in French than in Arabic. By Friday morning, greater than 900 guests had entered the truthful, organisers stated.
One of many Moroccan sellers collaborating within the truthful for the primary time is Abla Ababou, whose eponymous up to date artwork gallery is predicated in Rabat, the nation’s capital metropolis. Her gallery typically exhibits works by Moroccan artists as a result of “they do not essentially have the identical alternatives to exhibit that European artists have”, Ababou says. For its stand at 1-54, the gallery is showcasing 4 artists who “are on the forefront of the Moroccan artwork scene”, she says, with works by Noureddine Amir, Hakim Benchekroun, Ilias Selfati and Fatiha Zemmouri priced from €2,000 to €20,000.
“There’s nice Moroccan artists within the up to date scene. We’ve got numerous younger artists now, numerous Moroccans who go and work [abroad] and now have established their presence that manner,” Abaou says. “We’re not that giant of a rustic, however nonetheless, you are feeling this presence.”
Benchekroun, the youngest artist of the group, makes use of images and schematic drawings to distinction the results of French and Spanish colonisation with their aftermaths. Overlaying photos of previous constructions constructed by the colonising forces with images of Moroccan landscapes exhibits how reminiscence fades with decolonisation, Ababou says.
One of many buzziest stands on the truthful is that of Loft Artwork Gallery, based in 2009 by sisters Myriem and Yasmine Berrada in cosmopolitan Casablanca, Morocco’s most populous metropolis and residential to many of the nation’s business artwork galleries. Final yr, Loft Artwork Gallery expanded with a everlasting house in Marrakech and took half in Artwork Basel Paris for the primary time.
“The Moroccan market has developed rather a lot, in an excellent manner. After I began the gallery 16 years in the past, the market was very native,” Yasmine Berrada says. “All the pieces has modified, and there’s a actual worldwide openness. It’s crucial to place the Moroccan market within the worldwide artwork scene.”
Like Abla Ababou, Loft Artwork Gallery’s stand at 1-54 completely options works by Moroccan artists to reveal them to the truthful’s worldwide clientele. The gallery is exhibiting works by Nassim Azarzar, Samy Snoussi, Bouchra Boudoua and Amina Agueznay. Azarzar’s work impressed by the views of lengthy Moroccan roadtrips proved notably fashionable with attendees, and one offered for €5,800, in keeping with a gallery consultant. A portray by the French-born, Casablanca-based painter Snoussi offered for €6,800. A textile hanging by Agueznay offered for €15,000. A chunk by Boudoua, who works in ceramic, offered for €8,000.
Elevated consideration on the Moroccan artwork market and the work finished by business galleries and establishments has inspired collectors to spend money on youthful artists, Berrada says.
“It was necessary for me to point out new up to date artists for the primary time,” Berrada says. “Individuals are coming from yr to yr and need to see one thing new.”
1-54 Up to date African Artwork truthful, Marrakech, till 2 February