1-54 Marrakech art fair is dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and Europe. This year the fair brings together a diverse set of perspectives from around the world and has carefully selected 20 leading galleries from 10 countries: Belgium, Cote dlvoire, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and the United Kingdom. The fair features more than 70 artists, both emerging and established, working in a wide variety of mediums and from a range of geographical locations. The fair has a vast program of conferences organised for the first time by art historian and curator Karima Boudou.
Participating galleries included Afikaris (Paris, France), AFRONOVA GALLERY (Cape Town, South Africa), Eclectica Contemporary (Cape Town, South Africa), Galerie 127 (Marrakech, Morocco), Galerie Cécile Fakhoury (Abidjan, Côte d lvoire / Dakar, Senegal), Galerie Nathalie Obadia (Paris, France/ Brussels, Belgium), Goodman Gallery (Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa/ London, United Kingdom), GVCC (Casablanca, Morocco), Katharina Maria Raab (Berlin, Germany), L’Atelier 21 (Casablanca, Morocco), Loft Art Gallery (Casablanca, Morocco), Louisimone Guirandou Gallery (Abidjan, Côte d’lvoire), MAGNIN-A (Paris, France), Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art (Cairo, Egypt), Nil Gallery (Paris, France), Primo Marella Gallery (Milan, Italy), So Art Gallery (Casablanca, Morocco), UBUNTU art gallery (Cairo, Egypt), Voice gallery (Marrakech, Morocco), and WHATIFTHEWORLD (Cape Town, South Africa).
Ten galleries were participating for the first time, Afikaris (Paris, France), AFRONOVA GALLERY (Cape Town, South Africa), Eclectica Contemporary (Cape Town, South Africa), galerie 127 (Marrakech, Morocco), GVCC (Casablanca, Morocco), Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art (Cairo, Egypt), Nil Gallery (Paris, France), So Art Gallery (Casablanca, Morocco), UBUNTU art gallery (Cairo, Egypt) and WHATIFTHEWORLD (Cape Town, South Africa).
1-54 Forum runs alongside each fair, it is an extensive programme of talks, panels and performances explores convergences across artistic and cultural production, critical thinking and ideas. 1-54 Forum Marrakech 2020 was curated with independent art space, The Showroom, London, and led by Elvira Dyangani Ose. The forum was entitled On Focus: Communal Knowledge at Large.
1-54’s Programme of Partner Projects
Indiscipline presented The Montresso* Art Foundation for the third consecutive year alongside the fair.
Ressala and Intra-Muros exhibtions, presented by Comptoir des Mines Galerie at the space in Gueliz.
Not to forget Hamdoulah ça va! exhibition, presented by DaDa, inspired by the film Horse Day, directed by Mohamed Bourouissa.
Uprisings of Alter Ego, commissioned by L’Institut Français de Marrakech
Seloua Ejjennane, Commandar, 2016
Á l’épreuve du tamis exhibition, presented by Le 18
HAVE YOU SEEN A HORIZON LATELY? By Museum of Contemporary African Art Al Maaden (MACAAL)
Akira Ikezoe, Coconut Heads around the Ceramic Studio, 2019. Oil on canvas, 157 x 127 cm. Courtesy the artist
The first retrospective devoted to the work of Jacques Azéma (1910-1979), mounted by musée YVES SAINT LAURENT Marrakech.
Jacques Azéma, Maquette paysage kasbah, 1977, Gouache on cardboard, Private collection, Casablanca
This year 1-54 has launched its free, user friendly application in which users can navigate the fair, explore the program and check out participating galleries and artists. Users can also receive notifications and stay tuned to updates throughout the show.
1-54 Marrakech took place from 22-23 February 2020.