Street art in the heart of Morocco

RABAT, MOROCCO – A few months after inaugurating Morocco’s Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in the capital, the National Museum Foundation helped to organise Rabat’s first street art festival, Jidar. The festival, which wrapped up last week, reflects a growing interest in contemporary art within the kingdom.

On cranes, from the pavement, or while chatting with curious onlookers, 12 international artists painted buildings in the capital in a range of styles, including abstract expressionism and surrealism.

French artist Zepha (Vincent Abadie Hafez) filled a mural of concentric circles with Arabic calligraphy, French words, and the Berber script of Tifanagh, representing Morocco’s three main languages. On the other side of town, Kalamour (Abdellatif Farhate) painted a man clad in a djellaba, a traditional Berber gown, cradling the Earth.

American artist Maya Hayuk, a veteran of the street art scene, said many people stopped to look at the paintings and ask questions. Taking inspiration from public space is key to the festival, said Jidar’s artistic director Salah Malouli, who hopes young people will be encouraged to initiate their own street art projects.

The festival ended on May 24, but the Mohammed VI museum will host an exhibit of street art until the end of the year.

French artist Zepha (Vincent Abadie Hafez) paints ‘calligraffiti’ across from Bab Chellah, the main gates to the ruins of the medieval Merinid necropolis. [Nadir Bouhmouch/Al Jazeera]

Zepha says he often improvises in his work. [Nadir Bouhmouch/Al Jazeera]

These concentric circles include words in Arabic, French, and the Berber language. [Nadir Bouhmouch/Al Jazeera]

Many curious passersby stopped to take pictures. [Nadir Bouhmouch/Al Jazeera]

Images of ordinary Moroccans are a focal point of Simou Mouhim’s work, featuring in his mural across from Bab El Had. [Nadir Bouhmouch/Al Jazeera]

American street artist Maya Hayuk had murals commissioned in China, Australia, and Spain before coming to Morocco. She says her abstract expressionist compositions are inspired by traditional embroidery patterns from her native Ukraine. [Nadir Bouhmouch/Al Jazeera]

Italian artist Pixel Pancho’s signature cyborgs are featured in this mural, which depicts a robotic shepherd caring for his robotic herd. [Nadir Bouhmouch/Al Jazeera]

Argentinean artist Jaz (Franco Fasoli) paints a surrealist mural called The Shoe Thief, showing a tussle between a man and a tiger. [Nadir Bouhmouch/Al Jazeera]

A man looks on as Jaz paints his mural. [Nadir Bouhmouch/Al Jazeera]

Lesser-known Moroccan graffiti artists got a chance to reveal their styles and designs on this collective mural. [Nadir Bouhmouch/Al Jazeera]

Rabat residents stopped to look or ask questions about the design and materials at the collective mural. [Nadir Bouhmouch/Al Jazeera]

At the Mohammed VI museum’s Main Street exhibit, visitors viewed impressionist portraits of Moroccan women by French street artist C215 (Christian Guémy). [Nadir Bouhmouch/Al Jazeera]

Nahrain Al-Mousawi

Street art in the heart of Morocco

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