1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair launches Moroccan earthquake relief project

Following the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Morocco final Friday, 1-54 Up to date African Artwork Honest has launched a undertaking aiming to lift funds and help on-the-ground catastrophe aid within the area.

The earthquake has reportedly killed round 3,000 individuals and injured greater than 5,000. The catastrophe has additionally severely broken a number of key heritage websites together with the medieval Marrakech medina.

“We’re grateful to have the ability to say that, having spoken to our galleries, artists and companions throughout the cultural scene and hospitality sector, everyone seems to be protected,” Touria El Glaoui, the founding director of the honest, tells The Artwork Newspaper. “Sadly, the earthquake has most immediately affected extra distant communities within the Atlas Mountains.”

1-54’s companions on the bottom embrace the Museum of African Up to date Artwork Al Maaden, the Montresso* Artwork Basis, the exhibition area Dada Marrakech, Musée Yves Saint Laurent and the artist residency area Al Maqam. The honest plans to work with the organisations “to help long run reconstruction”.

For now, nevertheless, the honest is planning to lift cash for catastrophe aid funds. “We’re in dialog with a number of Moroccan artists with whom we’d like to provide a collection of limited-edition prints,” El Glaoui says. “We’ll be donating proceeds to organisations working to help these most affected within the instant aftermath, and to efforts to rebuild Marrakech within the coming months.”

Certainly, this yr’s courtyard fee on the honest’s London version shall be particularly pertinent, coming from the Marrakech-based artist Amine El Gotaibi. “El Gotaibi’s set up, Illuminate The Mild, explores the idea of sunshine in relation to the African continent. It’s befitting that this brilliant and hopeful set up will sit on the coronary heart of our London 2023 honest,” El Glaoui says.

“We urge vacationers to not be deterred from visiting Morocco and experiencing its vibrant and numerous cultural scene as this shall be essential to the nation’s financial restoration,” mentioned 1-54 in an announcement. “Though the affect of the earthquake has been devastating, aid and reconstruction efforts are below method and far of Marrakech is fortunately nonetheless standing.”