African Studies: Contemporary Artists from Morocco
African Studies: Looking Out, Looking In: Contemporary Artists from Morocco
Curator Talk: Thursday, March 28 @ 6:30 p.m.
Faye G., Jo, and James Stone Gallery
Curators Cynthia Becker (Boston University Department of History of Art and Architecture) and Nadia Sabri (Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Mohammed V in Rabat, Morocco) will lead a guided tour of the exhibition, Looking Out, Looking In: Contemporary Art from Morocco on view in the Boston University Art Galleries until March 31st, and discuss the cultural and political contexts of the selected artworks. The talk will coincide with the launch of the exhibition’s catalog followed by a closing reception.
Looking Out, Looking In: Contemporary Artists from Morocco brings together seven diverse Moroccan photographers and videographers for the first time. Each works in a unique style and comes from a different background, but what links them is their exploration of how seeing is not always equated with knowing. They recognize that the process of looking is a political act and seek to emphasize the ambiguity of meaning contained within the visual. Some artists consider how Moroccan society is looked at by outsiders and confront the historical biases inherent in the colonial gaze. Others imagine a world without borders, making sense of the boundaries that divide nation-states. Some consider aspects of Moroccan culture hidden from public view due to political oppression. Each uses their art to contemplate the moral and emotional experiences of looking in at oneself in response to looking out at the complex social issues that impact Morocco today.
Artists: Hassan Darsi, Wiame Haddad, Hassan Hajjaj, Randa Maroufi, Safaa Mazirh, Lamia Naji, Nour Eddine Tilsaghani
The exhibition is co-sponsored with Boston University’s African Studies Center, the BU Arts Initiative, the Institute for the Study of Muslim Societies & Civilizations, and the Department of History of Art & Architecture and the Boston Cultural Council.
Exhibitions and programs are free and open to the public.