1-54 Marrakech truthful opens with robust gross sales and a highlight on Morocco’s rising artwork scene – The Artwork Newspaper

For this 12 months’s 1-54 Up to date African Artwork truthful in Marrakech, 30 galleries from everywhere in the world arrange stands at La Mamounia, the palatial luxurious resort on the sting of town’s chaotic medina, in addition to the artwork occasions area 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 fashionable artists—to highlight work by African artists and the continent’s diaspora. The identify is a reference to the 54 nations in Africa. Half of the exhibitors at this version of 1-54 Marrakech are primarily based on the African continent, the next fee than is typical on the truthful’s bigger and longer-running editions in London and New York.

Together with the final delicate cutting-edge market, the commerce in works by artists from Africa has taken successful the previous few years. In 2024, public sale gross sales for Trendy and modern African artwork fell by 8.4% based on ArtTactic, the artwork market analysis agency. Nonetheless, based on Artwork Basel and UBS’s report on the artwork market in 2023—the newest 12 months with obtainable related knowledge—sellers working in African markets reported “blended gross sales” and an total gross sales decline of 1%, on par with South America and higher than some particular person European nations like France and Germany.

“We have been very fortunate with 1-54 as a result of we’re so specialised and we have now a mission. The way in which folks 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 throughout the first day of the VIP preview on Thursday (30 January). Some of the 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 due to the establishment’s Africa Acquisitions Committee Catalyst Fund.

“Up to now, so good,” El Glaoui mentioned the morning of the VIP preview. “We’ve 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’s kind of 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, often known 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 industrial galleries are opening whereas Moroccan artists have gotten extra in-demand at residence 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 12 months.

The primary iteration of 1-54 Marrakech was held in 2018, and has been credited with serving to to invigorate town’s artwork scene. Together with the truthful’s stands, this 12 months’s programming incorporates modern artwork everywhere in the metropolis. The truthful partnered with galleries in Marrakech’s upscale and fashionable 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, based on 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 town are additionally placing on their very own occasions and openings to coincide with 1-54. Throughout Marrakech’s souk within the medina, the outdated metropolis, the Izza resort is staging a gaggle present with work by digital artists from the resort’s personal assortment together with installations by the Moroccan artists Safaa Erruas, Amina Agueznay and Amina Benbouchta. The Saturday evening celebration on the riad resort to have fun Izza’s artist residency is a sendoff for the truthful week.

“I’ve at all times been tremendous stunned that Morocco is just not on the highest listing [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 by way of growth in every of the large cities of Morocco. You could have galleries in Tangiers, you’ve got 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 by the aisles on the truthful’s two places, it was extra frequent to listen to conversations in French than in Arabic. By Friday morning, greater than 900 guests had entered the truthful, organisers mentioned.

One of many Moroccan sellers collaborating within the truthful for the primary time is Abla Ababou, whose eponymous modern artwork gallery relies in Rabat, the nation’s capital metropolis. Her gallery usually reveals 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 modern scene. We’ve lots of younger artists now, lots of Moroccans who go and work [abroad] and now have established their presence that means,” Abaou says. “We’re not that giant of a rustic, however nonetheless, you’re 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 outdated buildings constructed by the colonising forces with images of Moroccan landscapes reveals 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 industrial artwork galleries. Final 12 months, Loft Artwork Gallery expanded with a everlasting area in Marrakech and took half in Artwork Basel Paris for the primary time.

“The Moroccan market has developed loads, in an excellent means. Once I began the gallery 16 years in the past, the market was very native,” Yasmine Berrada says. “All the things has modified, and there’s a actual worldwide openness. It’s essential to place the Moroccan market within the worldwide artwork scene.”

Like Abla Ababou, Loft Artwork Gallery’s stand at 1-54 solely options works by Moroccan artists to reveal them to the truthful’s worldwide clientele. The gallery is displaying works by Nassim Azarzar, Samy Snoussi, Bouchra Boudoua and Amina Agueznay. Azarzar’s work impressed by the views of lengthy Moroccan roadtrips proved notably standard with attendees, and one offered for €5,800, based on 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 bit by Boudoua, who works in ceramic, offered for €8,000.

Elevated consideration on the Moroccan artwork market and the work completed by industrial galleries and establishments has inspired collectors to spend money on youthful artists, Berrada says.

“It was necessary for me to point out new modern artists for the primary time,” Berrada says. “Persons are coming from 12 months to 12 months and wish to see one thing new.”

1-54 Up to date African Artwork truthful, Marrakech, till 2 February