Rabat – Visitors to Rabat should already have the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art on their sight-seeing list for the city, along with Hassan Tower, the Andalusian Gardens, and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V.
Slightly further off the radar for art lovers is the small, hidden gallery inside the Bab Rouah gate. Only accessible 8.30am-4.30pm, Monday-Friday, this art space is on the main tram route and should not be overlooked. Visitors will find a range of contemporary pieces in both galleries, but what can they expect to see?
Terminology
Modern Art is a term that gets used to describe a range of different styles and aesthetics in art, but we need to be a bit more specific. Technically there are specific parameters for some of these terms – modern doesn’t mean what you think it does in this context.
Modern Art – This actually refers to the time from roughly the 1880s – 1960s. As a time period this spans many different artistic movements: Fauvism, Impressionism, Surrealism, and Cubism, and features innovations like screen printing, photography, and collage. Some famous artists from this time are Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Vincent Van Gogh, and Frida Kahlo.
Postmodern Art– This refers to art from the 1960s onwards. Postmodern art was a rejection of Modern art’s clarity and simplicity. Postmodern art embraces both high and low culture with irony and humor, bringing popular imagery into the museum setting, expanding the medium to include conceptual, feminist, installation and performance art. Some famous artists from this era are: Andy Warhol, Barbara Kruger and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Contemporary Art – This term is used for artwork from the 1970s to the present day. It covers art considered to be “of our time” today and typically made by living artists. Contemporary art spans a wide range of media, methods, and messages. It includes painting, sculptures, video, photography, performance, street art, digital installations, and works that blend several of these forms at once.
Due to the timeframe, this means that some artists considered postmodern could also fit into the contemporary category, as they are still living. However, contemporary art themes revolve around and respond to present-day social and global issues. Some famous contemporary artists are: Jeff Koons, Yoko Ono, Ai Weiwei, Banksy, and Yayoi Kusama.
Abstract Art – When people talk about “modern,” they are often referring to abstract art. The word “modern” is regularly misused to set the art apart from older artistic styles that represent the world in a more accurate way. The confusion here is that abstract art is not a modern style.
Kandinsky is seen as the father of this style.His works go right back to a hundred years ago in the 1920s. However, the abstract is a central theme of contemporary art. You are likely to find a lot of abstract pieces in a contemporary art gallery, so it’s easy to see how the two terms have become almost synonymous.
With a near century-old history, abstract art is a world to explore in itself, with different styles and schools around the world.
Interacting with contemporary and abstract art
When first looking at this kind of art you might find yourself thinking, “What is the point of this? What is it meant to be?” This is understandable, as a lot of visual arts are designed to be viewed in this way.
The fun of contemporary and abstract art, however, comes from you, the viewer. You are required to interact with the piece as it’s not obvious. As you look at the shapes, colors, textures, materials and composition (arrangement), it’s up to you to try and work it out. This act of interpretation can be a reflection as to how you interpret a piece – and may ultimately tell you a lot about yourself.
It doesn’t have to get all deep and reflective though. You can wander through a gallery and wait for something to grab your attention. Then try asking the following questions to yourself:
Do I like the colours? The composition? The textures?
What can I see? What could the intention be?
Is it meant to represent anything in particular? What could it be?
Remember that there is no right answer – this type of art is all about your interpretation. You might find that many pieces don’t resonate with you – and that’s okay. When they do, it may differ from other interpretations – and that’s ok too.
What’s on in Rabat?
Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art: The basement level hosts an extensive permanent exhibition of contemporary and abstract paintings. The collection features work by prominent names in Moroccan contemporary art such as Sanae Arraqas, Ahmed Al Birrak, and Mostapha Romli to name but a few.
Bab Rouah: This smaller space punches well above its weight, currently housing an impressive collection of paintings by Said Raji November 11 to 26. Raji is based in Casablanca and has been exhibiting his work since 2002. His exhibition titled “Unrevealed” features smaller collage works merging paint and fragments of text, as well as larger pieces with an emphasis on motion and light. Although the Bab Rouah gallery is small, it is a well-curated space and well worth the visit.
