Fez — The Bab Rouah National Gallery in Rabat is preparing to host a new visual arts exhibition by Moroccan artist Abdelilah Ennassef, scheduled to run from February 3 to February 17.
Held under the auspices of the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication’s Department of Culture, the exhibition is titled “The Vitality of Africa and the Resilience of Its Cultural Heritage.”
The exhibition will open its doors at one of Morocco’s most emblematic art spaces, continuing Bab Rouah’s long-standing role as a platform for dialogue between tradition and contemporary artistic practice.
An artistic vision rooted in Africa
According to the official invitation, Ennassef’s exhibition presents a contemporary artistic vision inspired by the depth of the African continent and the richness of its cultural heritage. The works draw on dynamic forms, vibrant colors, and symbolic elements to reflect Africa not as a static past, but as a living and evolving cultural space.
The exhibition’s concept centers on the idea of dialogue — between memory and the present, and between identity and creative expression. Through this lens, Ennassef’s artworks seek to bridge inherited cultural symbols with modern visual language, highlighting continuity rather than rupture.
Visual storytelling and symbolic forms
The exhibition text emphasizes the use of symbolic expression as a core element of Ennassef’s work. His compositions are described as celebratory, engaging with African heritage through layered imagery that evokes architecture, textiles, and collective memory.
By combining abstraction with recognizable cultural references, the artist positions his work within a broader conversation about how African identities are represented and reinterpreted in contemporary art. The result is an approach that values resilience — cultural forms that adapt, endure, and remain meaningful across generations.
Bab Rouah as a cultural landmark
Hosting the exhibition at the Bab Rouah National Gallery adds institutional and historical weight to the event. Located within Rabat’s historic walls, the gallery has become a central venue for major exhibitions that highlight both established and emerging Moroccan artists.
Its programming often reflects Morocco’s broader cultural policy, which encourages artistic innovation while remaining grounded in national and continental heritage. Ennassef’s exhibition aligns with this mission by foregrounding African cultural narratives within a contemporary framework.
Dates and public access
“The Vitality of Africa and the Resilience of Its Cultural Heritage” will be open to the public from February 3 to February 17 at the Bab Rouah National Gallery in Rabat. The organizers have framed the exhibition as an open cultural invitation, welcoming art professionals, students, and the wider public to engage with its themes.
As Morocco continues to position itself as a cultural crossroads between Africa and the wider world, exhibitions like Ennassef’s underscore the growing role of visual arts in shaping conversations around identity, memory, and cultural continuity across the continent.
