OUR LAND JUST LIKE A DREAM: JOËL ANDRIANOMEARISOA AT THE MACAAL.

By Nii B. Andrews.

The MACAAL, under the able leadership of Othman Lazraq, continues to push the envelope and offer new vistas in CAA. 

Its first ground breaking exhibition dedicated to a contemporary artist was one of the anchor events of the just ended 1-54 fair.

Utilizing a visionary and conceptually based approach, the totality of the museum was occupied by work executed exclusively in Marrakech by the artist Joël Andrianomearisoa.

****Joël Andrianomearisoa, installation view of “Our Land Just Like a Dream” at MACAAL. Courtesy of the artist and MACAAL.****

The works were produced in close liaison with experienced local master artisans.

The ethos was for Andrianomearisoa to provide a personal interpretation and exploration of local materials, objects and esthetic techniques.

A variety of media were utilized; ceramics, textiles, metal, paper, leather and cane or wicker.

In the process what emerged constituted a vibrant, nuanced and complicated dialog between the collaborators.

Furthermore, Andrianomearisoa went on to engage with other practicing artists from Morocco and beyond thus creating work with a unique syncopated synergy encompassing other media that included goldsmithing, wood engraving, or sound.

The result is a thoughtful exuberant exhibition interspersed with works from the MACAAL collection.

For Andrianomearisoa, “the museum is a playground” and he has been invited “to invade it”; he is excellent at “evoking moods”.

We spent a lovely time viewing the exhibition just before an outdoor garden stunning dusk solo cello recital for invited guests – all wearing only black-  on the Saturday, the penultimate day of the fair.

****Joël Andrianomearisoa, “A few of my favorite things” from the show “Our Land Just Like a Dream” at MACAAL. Courtesy of the artist and MACAAL. C. Ayoub El Bardii.****

Given the cryptic title, “OUR LAND JUST LIKE  A DREAM”, the exhibition is directed by Meriem Berrada and will run till July 16 this year.

There is an excellent accompanying catalog with seminal texts by Othman Lazraq, Meriem Berrada, Morad Montazami, Salima Naji, Meryem Sebti, Jean Loup Pivin, Storm Janse Van Rensburg.


The exhibition catalog can be ordered through this link:
https://zamanbc.com/en/joel-andrianomearisoa-our-land-just-like-a-dream-2/

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