2024-07-05 17:42:22
In collaboration with the regional directorate of Crafts and Solidarity Economy of Fez and the Fez-Meknes Chamber of Crafts, the UPF opens its doors to a public eager to discover ancestral know-how and unique creations.
For the organizers, this show will be an opportunity to meet talented artisans, explore their works and participate in workshops to familiarize themselves with artisanal techniques.
In a statement to MAP, Abderrahim Belkhayat, regional director of Crafts in Fez, stressed that this event is of great importance for the UPF and the Ministry of Tourism and Crafts, specifying that “these days dedicated to design offer a unique opportunity to open the university to its economic and social environment, but also for the ministry to establish links with future architects and builders.”
Architecture and Building students are considered the bearers of the Moroccan identity of tomorrow, added Mr. Belkhayat, believing that understanding the culture of traditional buildings and crafts will allow them to integrate these riches into their future architectural plans. “Our goal is to provide all new constructions with a touch of Moroccan authenticity through craft creations. We want to build lasting bridges between the craft sector and the architects of tomorrow,” explained Mr. Belkhayat.
For his part, Yassine Lahlou, lecturer-researcher at the UPF, stressed the importance of perpetuating this event, noting that this first edition will be part of the continuity “thanks to our partnership with the regional directorate of Crafts and the Chamber of Crafts of Fez-Meknes”.
For Mr. Lahlou, the goal is to allow future engineers to have enriching exchanges with craftsmen from different trades. By offering this opportunity for sharing and immersion, he continued, the university wants to raise awareness among its students of the inestimable value of traditional know-how.
The international dimension of this event is not left out, as evidenced by the presence of a Spanish delegation from Granada, he added.
At the opening ceremony of the Fair, Alejandro Muñoz Miranda, deputy director of the School of Architecture of Granada, stressed the importance of promoting these age-old skills, because, for him, “highlighting craftsmanship and manual work, which unfortunately is increasingly being lost in Spain, is a real source of pride. We hope for a future collaboration with Fez, through a dedicated workshop and exhibition that would be held in Granada.”
The opening day of the Crafts Fair was marked by an intercultural exchange rich in perspectives, celebrating crafts as a vector of dialogue between peoples.
2024-07-05 17:42:22