Fez – Moroccan artist Hicham Benohoud has won a Paris Photo 2025 Photobook Award for “The Classroom.” The project grew out of his years teaching visual arts in Marrakech in the 1990s and early 2000s.
The prize, announced this week, is part of the Paris Photo–Aperture Photobook Awards. The competition is considered one of the most influential distinctions in photography publishing.
Benohoud taught art in Marrakech between 1992 and 2002. During that period, he turned his classroom into a studio. He built a darkroom and used photography as a teaching tool for his students.
Together, they staged surreal, often humorous tableaux. The images explore discipline, individuality, and power relations inside Morocco’s rigid school system.
The resulting black-and-white photographs were later gathered in the photobook “The Classroom.” The work has been widely praised. Critics highlight how it blends performance, conceptual art, and documentary sensibilities.
They point out the use of simple classroom objects — chairs, desks, string, paper. These props create visually striking-scenes. The compositions also serve as a commentary on post-colonial Moroccan society and the pressures facing young people.
In a recent interview quoted by Moroccan media, Benohoud discussed the origins of the project. He recalled how it began as an educational experiment. Over time, it became a cornerstone of his artistic practice. He explained that he transformed his classroom “into a photo studio” and created artistic compositions with his pupils.
The process evolved into the long-term series he later titled “The Classroom.” For him, the Paris Photo 2025 prize is “one of the best awards in the world” for photobooks. He sees it as a strong recognition of work rooted in everyday Moroccan life.
Since 2012, the Paris Photo–Aperture Photobook Awards have honored outstanding books in several categories. These include First PhotoBook and PhotoBook of the Year. The awards have become a key reference for photographers, publishers, and curators.
Each year, hundreds of titles from around the world are submitted. The winning projects are then exhibited during Paris Photo, one of the leading international photography fairs.
For Morocco’s cultural sector, Benohoud’s win is a significant sign of progress. It confirms the country’s growing presence on the global visual-arts map. The award shows how a project rooted in a Marrakech classroom can travel far. Work created with teenagers in a strict education system now resonates with audiences well beyond Morocco’s borders.
As “The Classroom” continues to appear in exhibitions and bookshops, its reach is likely to expand. The Paris Photo 2025 prize will introduce new readers and viewers to Benohoud’s work. It also underscores the lasting power of the photobook medium.
Through this format, artists can tell complex stories about identity and authority. They can also explore the possibilities of imagination inside even the most controlled spaces.
