Morocco
Rabat
2024
11
French
In a nutshell
A Poet Passes Through celebrates the expansive world of Abdellatif Laâbi, the Moroccan writer, poet, and painter, at the Mohammed VI Museum in Rabat. This exhibition explores Laâbi’s rich and engaged body of work, presenting him as a voice for a generation seeking meaning through art. It unveils the creative spirit of an era, featuring literary works, archival documents, paintings, and videos that trace his journey and reveal his less-known facet as a painter. A significant focus is the groundbreaking Souffles review, co-founded by Laâbi, which profoundly transformed Moroccan culture and liberated minds. Visitors will discover how one artist’s vision and intellectual struggle historically shaped artistic expression and continue to resonate today, offering a unique insight into a life dedicated to creative impact.
Why should you watch this?
A Poet Passes Through speaks directly to questions of voice, memory, and cultural freedom. Abdellatif Laâbi’s journey — from the radical energy of Souffles to the intimacy of his paintings — shows how words and images can both confront oppression and nurture renewal. The exhibition reveals the texture of a life lived in dialogue with history, where poetry became protest and later painting carried a quieter, but no less powerful, resonance. To watch it is to sense how one artist’s struggle for expression connects with ongoing searches for dignity and meaning, making Laâbi’s work as urgent as it is timeless.
Curator
Abdellatif Laâbi
Bio
Abdellatif Laâbi is a renowned Moroccan poet, novelist, playwright, translator, and political activist. Born in Fez in 1942, he co-founded the influential literary magazine Souffles in 1966, which became a cornerstone of postcolonial cultural and political discourse in North Africa.
Laâbi’s outspoken criticism of authoritarian regimes led to his imprisonment from 1972 to 1980 for “crimes of opinion.” Following his release, he relocated to France in 1985, where he continued his literary and activist work.
His extensive body of work, encompassing poetry, novels, plays, and translations, has earned him numerous accolades, including the Prix Goncourt de la Poésie in 2009 and the Grand Prix de la Francophonie from the Académie Française in 2011.
Laâbi’s writings, often centered on themes of human rights, freedom, and cultural identity, have solidified his position as a leading voice in contemporary Francophone literature.
Artist
Abdellatif Laâbi
Bio
Abdellatif Laâbi is a renowned Moroccan poet, novelist, playwright, translator, and political activist. Born in Fez in 1942, he co-founded the influential literary magazine Souffles in 1966, which became a cornerstone of postcolonial cultural and political discourse in North Africa.
Laâbi’s outspoken criticism of authoritarian regimes led to his imprisonment from 1972 to 1980 for “crimes of opinion.” Following his release, he relocated to France in 1985, where he continued his literary and activist work.
His extensive body of work, encompassing poetry, novels, plays, and translations, has earned him numerous accolades, including the Prix Goncourt de la Poésie in 2009 and the Grand Prix de la Francophonie from the Académie Française in 2011.
Laâbi’s writings, often centered on themes of human rights, freedom, and cultural identity, have solidified his position as a leading voice in contemporary Francophone literature.
