2024-07-13 09:07:52
It is an open dialogue between the brush and the colors, the creator and the wall, the artist and the spectator, that the Assilah Forum Foundation orchestrates each year by inviting a host of artists to embellish the city with creative frescoes, arousing the admiration and curiosity of visitors.
In preparation for the summer session of the 45th edition of the International Cultural Moussem of Assilah, which begins this weekend, 12 Moroccan artists and one Syrian artist take possession of the city walls to paint 13 frescoes, delivering an open invitation to visitors and residents of the city to appreciate the beauty of these creations, to delve into the imagination of the creators and to listen to their dialogue with the brush and the colors.
Freedom, the spark of creativity
Zailachi painter Abdelkader Melehi, coordinator of the mural workshop, stressed that the artist is free to choose the theme of his fresco and works with ease and spontaneity, in direct dialogue with the wall, affirming that this approach is the key to the success of the Moussem of Assilah for 45 years.
He said that this freedom of choice means that the frescoes created reflect the specificity, diversity and richness of each generation of artists participating in previous editions.
For his part, the Syrian painter and calligrapher Khaled Al Saai, who is participating for the tenth time in this workshop with a painting inspired by Arabic calligraphy, emphasized the importance of this experience in the artist’s journey, since it is a form of direct creativity in front of the public, noting that each fresco leads to multiple suggestions, improvisations and decisive moments, thus enriching his artistic background.
As for Hamza Abderrahim, a painter and calligrapher from Marrakech, who is participating in this workshop for the second time, creating a blue canvas decorated with brick red patterns, he said that “the source of inspiration is in the place, I love this wonderful city”, stressing that the wall on which he is working is “loaded with history and imbued with feelings”, since it was previously decorated with a work by the late Farid Belkahia in 1978.
Assilah, pioneer of the artistic movement
Over four and a half decades of experience in murals, the seaside town has established itself as a pioneer of the artistic movement in Morocco.
Thus, the walls of Assilah have been transformed into an open-air museum, thanks to the frescoes and sculptures of international artists, while its alleys and squares have become galleries and exhibition spaces.
“Taking art out of galleries and onto the streets is a crucial initiative, as it allows visitors to experience art in their daily lives, transforming the city into an open-air museum,” Melehi noted, emphasizing the importance of this approach in arts and visual arts education, and encouraging viewers to appreciate and interact with the works.
Artist Hamza Abderrahim considered that “the city of Assilah has become an emblem of artistic dynamics in Morocco and in the world”, while Khaled Al Saai affirmed that “participation in the Moussem of Assilah is a testimony of creativity for each artist who came to the city to soak up knowledge, art and love”.
For his part, the Deputy Secretary General of the Assilah Forum Foundation, Taoufik Louzari, said that “the philosophy of murals in Assilah dates back to the beginnings of the International Cultural Moussem in 1978, by establishing a culture of creativity in open spaces and among the public”, noting that this annual event has allowed the inhabitants of Assilah to appreciate the murals with passion, to the point of preserving them, because they have become an integral part of the visual landscape of the city.
Creativity, a pen that flourishes with the child
The International Cultural Moussem of Assilah also offers a workshop dedicated to the children of the city, aimed at allowing them to express themselves through brushes and colors, a significant initiative that awakens their creative spirit from a very young age.
For the painter and coordinator of the mural painting workshop for children in Assilah, Kawtar Chrigui, noted that the children’s frescoes, which are produced in parallel with those of the artists, are a way for children to learn painting techniques and develop their self-confidence, stressing that the children of Assilah are steeped in art from a very young age, thanks to the frescoes that adorn the walls of the medina.
This year, she continued, the chosen theme “A healthy mind in a healthy body” is a way of celebrating sport through art, specifying that these children benefited from several workshops aimed at designing the frescoes before transforming these designs into paintings, which will not fail to amaze visitors to Assilah.
According to Mr. Louzari, involving children in the creation of murals is an integrated approach that the Assilah Forum Foundation has been implementing for years to educate young people in creativity, culture, self-confidence, outdoor artistic interaction, while developing their skills.
Assilah renews its appointment every year with frescoes that have become an integral part of the visual identity of this seaside town, which breathes art and creativity, and which has relied on culture for its development thanks to the diligent work of the Assilah Forum Foundation.
2024-07-13 09:07:52