Mmorocco

Arts in Marrakech Biennale

Arts in Marrakech Biennale / Film, Literature and Visual Arts / Marrakech, Morocco

Arts in Marrakech 2012:Free Thinking
Surrender

Arts in Marrakech is a Moroccan biennale of contemporary international culture. In February of 2012, Arts in Marrakech will launch its fourth edition titled Surrender, featuring key figures in literature, film and visual arts. From the 29th Feburary - 4th March 2012, public screenings, talks, performances and debates will take place at venues around the city. Opened till 3rd June 2012, Higher Atlas, an exhibition curated by Carson Chan and Nadim Samman will be on view at the historic El Badia Palace. Alan Yentob, creative director of the BBC, returns this year as the organizer of the film program, and Omar Barrada, Elizabeth Sheinkman and Benedicte Clarckson will organize the literature events.
With each biennial, Arts in Marrakech strives to collaborate with local universities and craftsmen, to build a platform that promotes Marrakech's position within the international sphere. Through partnerships with African and international voices, Arts in Marrakech aim to support a Moroccan cultural identity that is both locally rooted and internationally relevant. Developed for this upcoming edition, Arts in Marrakech will establish workshops for children lead by local and international cultural practitioners to promote access to comtemporary culture for all ages. These three months aim to highlight Morocco as a dynamic hub for current ideas and to establish its continued intellectual involvement on an international stage.
Past particpants have included Francis Alys, Yto Barrada, John Boorman, Richard E. Grant, Edmond El Maleh, Tracy Emin, Pieter Hugo, Isaac Julien, Abdellah Karroum, Joseph Kosuth, Julien Schnabel, Zadie Smith, Abdellah Taia.
In 2004 with the rise of global tensions, Vanessa Branson envisioned a cultural festival that would address social issues through the arts, using them as a vehicle for debate and discussion and to build bridges between diverse ideologies. Arts in Marrakech would become a celebration of creativity in a city that has been the focus of artistic exploration for centuries but with limited emphasis on contemporary art. Begining in 2005, as a gathering of arts enthusiasts who organized literary events and exhibitions. Arts in Marrakech has grown to become an internationally recognised biennale with a thriving visual arts, film and literature programme. The festival’s role has evolved along with the climate of the times. With today’s events in North Africa, the organization's goals could not be more pertinent for the cultural identity of the region. This festival aims to show the outside world that Morocco is an open society that encourages freedom of expression and debate, as well as sponsoring significant and lasting benefits for the area and its inhabitants, socially, economically and culturally.

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Promoting Visual Arts in Marrakech

The very words 'Morocco' and 'Marrakech' conjure up visions of glamorous, exotic and mysterious locations, so it’s no wonder that many foreign films have been shot on location in this fascinating North African country over the decades since moving pictures became a popular means of entertainment. The Lumière brothers of France are believed to have been the earliest filmmakers in history, and their 1897 film Le chevalier Marocain was based in Morocco.

As an institution of higher education, the Marrakech School of Visual Arts (L'École supérieure des arts visuels de Marrakech) is dedicated to training students for careers in television, film and visual communications such as multimedia design and graphic arts, promoting these skills on the African continent. Most often referred to as ESAV Marrakech, the Marrakech School of Visual Arts also promotes cultural and social diversity, with students primarily from Africa, the Maghreb and the Middle East. As a partnership with the University Cadi Ayyad of Marrakech, the school was founded in 2006 by the Susanna Biedermann Foundation of Switzerland, and runs as a non-profit organization.

The school complex includes two film set studios with multi-camera facilities and a 210-seat movie theater. A sound-proofed auditorium and sound-proofed recording studio, along with twenty editing rooms, seven sound recording units, five DV cam filming units, fifteen HD cam filming units, large screen projection, artist workshops and Mac Pro-equipped graphic art studios, are among the facilities offered to students. Each year entrance evaluations are held in Paris, Marrakech and ten other locations in the Middle East and Africa. Applicants need a bachelor's degree, and with an independent scholarship fund available, students are selected on their abilities and not their financial or social status.

Led by Moroccan curator and historian, Abdellah Karroum, ESAV collaborates with Rabat-based The Apartment 22 and other institutes to host an annual meeting creating a platform for the university and the professional world of art, both national and international, to meet and share knowledge and experiences regarding the arts.

With the Marrakech International Film Festival (Festival International du Film de Marrakech) set to take place from November 30 through to December 08, 2012, clearly Morocco is on the international map in the realms of visual art in all its forms.

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Discover Moroccan Film Culture at Cinematheque de Tanger

Started in 2006, Cinematheque de Tanger is a non-profit organization located in the Moroccan city of Tangier, where its organizers aim to provide the public with top quality programs representing the multi-faceted diversity of film production, beyond the scope of films released in commercial Moroccan theaters. By promoting world cinema in Morocco, and Moroccan cinema to the world, Cinematheque de Tanger (CdT) hopes to develop film culture in Morocco, acting as a platform for cross-cultural dialogue and exchange of ideas. The organization is creating a film archive representing all genres of film, including documentaries, video art and experimental films, as well as hosting workshops for filmmakers and educational activities for children.

The Cinematheque de Tanger's primary reason for the archive is preserve and distribute Arabic and Maghrebi film and video, while making the material available to as wide an audience as possible. The archive includes both contemporary and classic features, documentaries, short films and artist videos, with categories for experimental and amateur cinema. The collection can be viewed on site at the CdT, located in the former premises of Cinema Rif, Grand Socco, Tangier, where regular programs feature selected items.

In order to provide a wide range of cinematic works, the organization welcomes private and institutional donations, requesting that artists, producers, distributors and film associations submit their film footage to be scanned for preservation on a secure digital server. Colonial footage and old super 8 tapes from Arabic countries are also of interest. CdT points out that submission of works for filing in their archives implies the transfer of non-commercial distribution rights as set out by the CdT.

Children's programs include screening of a wide range of film genres including animation, documentaries, ethnographic films and world cinema, with the objective of education young audiences on the various aspects of movies. On the first Sunday of every month between October to June, The Magic Lantern showcases films with both educational and entertainment value. School Sessions are designed to make children curious about film making, and develop critical thinking and expression through discussion, while sharing and forming social bonds.

The Library of Cinematheque de Tanger is open on Saturday morning from 10am to 1pm, where visitors have access to essays, art books, poetry, journals, novels, film, photography, visual arts, history and more. The Cinematheque de Tanger certainly contributes to the cultural heritage of one of Morocco's most charming destinations.

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