The “Living 4 Art” Gallery in Casablanca launched on Saturday a group exhibition to showcase several plastic artworks by 20 Moroccan and African visual artists. Under the theme of “Reflect,” the event is set to creatively explore the COVID-19 crisis in Morocco; it will be open to the public between January 18-31.
According to organizers, the Exhibition aims to bring plastic artists together, promote their art to a bigger audience, and provide a space for meeting and exchange between artists and lovers of plastic art.
Living 4 Art is an art gallery in Casablanca that seeks to promote all forms of art in Morocco through organized group exhibitions under several themes, giving artists the chance to exhibit their art and expand their social and professional networks.
For this year, the gallery’s exhibition is set to feature some sixty artwork from a number of emerging and established Moroccan artists, including Salma Zaghba, Saidi Imane, Imane Mansir, Abdennaser Benabbou, Zineb Idrissi, and Ashwaq Mohamed.
During the launch of the exhibition on Saturday, Moroccan painter Samia Benjelloun Zahr expressed her gratitude for the collective art exhibition. She said the event allows artists to express themselves despite the pandemic and creatively tackle the global crisis and its social repercussions.
“I am happy to share with you pieces that I have created throughout the year, which allowed me to express my feelings in the lockdown period but also express my passion,” said Benjelloun Zahr.
For her part, Zineb Idrissi said that her art, as indicated in the title of the art collective exhibition, constitutes a reflection of her state of mind. Through a burst of color of nature and a touch of light, her work seeks to capture and magnify joy and hope amid daily crises and confusions, she explained.
Art in Morocco amid COVID-19
The art sector was one of the most heavily hit by the pandemic, with the closure or postponement of many art events including concerts, book fairs, museum exhibitions, galleries, as well as film, art, and literary festivals.
These canceled events have left Moroccan artists feeling lost and uncertain about the future. The burden was especially heavy for individual artists whose art is their only means of financial survival.
As Morocco slowly lifts and loosens its strict COVID-19 measures, there have been efforts from the government and nonprofit organizations to help the people that were affected the most. For artists, these initiatives have included providing financial assistance or promoting their art nationally.
In recent weeks, the Fez Art Lap event and the International Center for Diplomacy (ICD) have notably worked to raise awareness about the virus, share creative messages of hope, and assist local and national artists during their COVID-19-incurred hardships.
Read also: Moroccan Visual Artist MACHIMA’s Mural Art in Morocco’s Cities
On January 6, Morocco’s economic Monitoring Committee (CVE) signed five new agreements to assist the hardest-hit sectors. Of the agreements, four are meant to preserve jobs and encourage entrepreneurship in media, art, and culture, sports gyms, and day nurseries.
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