Fez — A new national photography competition is inviting Moroccans to revisit a familiar sight on the country’s roads: the aging Mercedes models that have long shaped daily life, travel, and memory across cities and countryside.
Titled “Mercedes in Morocco: A Collective Memory,” the initiative was launched by the German Embassy in Morocco in coordination with Association Tatmin.
The contest calls on photographers to document the presence and symbolism of classic Mercedes vehicles, particularly the 190 and 240 models, which remain deeply embedded in Morocco’s social landscape.
An object of everyday history
For decades, old Mercedes sedans have served as taxis, family cars, and workhorses on long-distance routes. Often associated with reliability and endurance, these vehicles have crossed regions and generations, becoming markers of personal and collective history rather than simple means of transport.
The competition encourages participants to approach the subject beyond nostalgia, using photography to explore how these cars reflect Morocco’s territorial diversity, social ties, and evolving relationship with mobility.
A nationwide call for photographers
Open to both amateur and professional photographers residing in Morocco, the contest allows each participant to submit up to three photographs. Entries are expected to be accompanied by a short explanatory text outlining the context and artistic intent behind the images.
According to the organizers, submissions will be evaluated on both aesthetic quality and narrative depth, with particular attention paid to how the photographs capture the cultural significance of these vehicles within Moroccan society.
A jury rooted in photography and curation
The submitted works will be evaluated by a jury bringing together diverse photographic and curatorial perspectives. Among its members is Olivier Unia, a French Spanish photographer based in Morocco whose work has received several international awards and who was nominated Open Photographer of the Year 2025 at the Sony World Photography Awards.
The jury also includes Myriem Himmich, a photographer, gallerist, and exhibition curator, as well as the founder of the Myriem Himmich Gallery in Casablanca. Her work is known for its humanist approach and strong engagement with contemporary curatorial practices.
Completing the panel is Zakaria Latouri, whose practice explores light, texture, and the relationship between graphic creation and artistic documentation.
A dialogue between memory and image
By focusing on a shared and recognizable object, the initiative aims to spark a broader reflection on visual heritage and everyday memory. The old Mercedes, once a symbol of modernity and progress, has gradually become a living archive of stories, routes, and encounters.
The organizers frame the project as an opportunity to document a form of heritage that is often overlooked, one rooted not in monuments or institutions, but in objects that continue to circulate through daily life.
Timeline and results
The deadline for submissions is January 31, giving photographers several weeks to develop and submit their work. The results of the competition are set to be announced in February 2026, following deliberation by a jury composed of image professionals and cultural figures.
The contest aligns with a growing interest in photography as a tool for social documentation, positioning the camera as a means to preserve fragments of collective memory at a moment when these iconic vehicles are slowly disappearing from Morocco’s roads.
Through this initiative, the organizers hope to encourage a renewed gaze on an object that has quietly accompanied the country’s transformations, turning mechanical endurance into a visual and cultural narrative.
