Abdellatif Laâbi: A Poet Passes Through
Morocco
Rabat
2024
11
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.
“Of Rage and Desire, The Beating Heart of Men” by photographer Gérard Rancinan and writer Caroline Gaudriault
Morocco
Rabat
2021
11
Continuing its celebration of photography, the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMVI) proudly presents De rage et de désir, le coeur battant des Hommes. This unique exhibition showcases forty monumental photographs by renowned international artist Gérard Rancinan, offering a fantasized and expansive history of humanity. The visual narrative is masterfully intertwined with three compelling calligraphic installations from French author Caroline Gaudriault, creating a striking dialogue between images and stories. The exhibition invites visitors to embark on a three-part journey—”Métamorphoses,” “Wonderful World,” and “Un petit Homme dans un vaste monde”—prompting profound reflection on the complexities of our contemporary society and the enduring human condition. This thought-provoking presentation underscores the power of artistic expression to engage with universal themes of existence, change, and societal interplay.
Why should you watch this?
This compelling exhibition, ‘De rage et de désir,’ invites a profound confrontation with the intricate tapestry of the human condition, delving into the raw emotions, fervent hopes, profound disillusionments, and potent desires that define our collective and individual experiences. In today’s rapidly evolving world, where societal transformations often bring both promise and peril, this truly original and surprising artistic universe offers a vital platform for reflection. Gérard Rancinan’s masterful photographic narratives, rich with powerful metaphors and nuanced art historical allusions, serve as a critical mirror, challenging viewers to reflect deeply on society’s complex evolution and its inherent pitfalls. Paired with Caroline Gaudriault’s thought-provoking calligraphic installations, this immersive experience promises to provoke profound introspection and intellectual discourse, ensuring a transformative journey into the heart of contemporary art. By engaging with these powerful works, you will uncover how art compels us to reconsider our collective responsibilities and the enduring power of creative expression to articulate the complexities of modern existence, making it an essential exploration in our current landscape.
“A” fell down, “B” is gone. Glossary of Soviet censorship. Censorship practices in the USSR from the first to the last day of the Soviet authorities
Russia
Moscow
2019
66
The exhibition serves as a poignant exploration of the pervasive and often absurd censorship that defined Soviet culture over 70 years. By navigating through the Russian alphabet—from the arrest of manuscripts to the Yauza tape recorder and the underground phenomenon of magnitizdat—visitors will uncover a narrative rich in both cruelty and resilience. Each letter unveils stories of meticulous scrutiny and cold repression, highlighting the complex interplay between censorship and state security, while also showcasing remarkable acts of civil defiance against artistic oppression. Enhanced by an array of documents, media, and artifacts, this exhibition invites you to explore the hidden layers of Soviet history and the power of creative expression that endeavored to resist the “red pencils” of authority.
Why should you watch this?
Being familiar with censorship practices is crucial in today’s increasingly polarized society, where issues of free speech and artistic expression are under threat globally. In an era marked by social media scrutiny, fake news, and governmental overreach, understanding the historical context of censorship serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of our rights and liberties. This exhibition resonates with contemporary struggles against misinformation, the suppression of dissent, and the erosion of trust in media and government institutions. By delving into the past, viewers gain insights into the tactics used to stifle voices and the importance of civil resistance. Thus, this tour becomes not just a historical observation, but a call to action, encouraging us to safeguard freedom of expression and advocate for a culture where diverse narratives can flourish without fear of repercussion in our modern landscape.