A Portrait of Marrakech

Producer. A two week pop up exhibition for the openting of MMPVA. Marrakech with Magnum Photographers, Susan Meiselas, Mark Power, Mikhael Subotzky, Abbas and Jim Goldberg. Curator Simon Njami.

“What the audience should be aware of, and that I want to stress in these lines, is the way, despite all odds, this experience that was supposed to be, above all, photographic, turned out to become one of the most poignant human experiences of which I have been a part. During the day, they were out shooting, at night, discussions would take place, sharing of ideas and of advice. They, we, were all bound together for the same goal: to produce a work that would reflect the incredible conditions under which we had to perform. The results are great. Those five great professionals gave the best of themselves. Maybe more than what they’ve ever given. And, at the end, there were images on the walls. There was a show. A great show, but of a different nature. The visitors, entering the exhibition might find it odd not to find any captions or explanation. It has been a deliberate choice. After those days spent together, we could not immediately go back to a classic state of affairs. The exhibition was born out of collective experience, and therefore, the images should be looked at, not as if they would have been produced by individuals, but as the reflexion of a collective commitment. Of course, one would recognize each style, each gaze. But this show must seem as a puzzle that would be composed by its different gazes. It is how they, we, lived Marrakech, for these unforgettable ten days. And the exhibition wishes to reflect, not a definitive achievement, but the burning heart of a process.” Simon Njami