1-54 Art Fair in Marrakech

In design there is this concept of a timeless, classic aesthetic. Or think of the Fibonacci sequence, in which each part equals the sum of its preceding two, approaching the Golden Ratio. Not to go too deep into mathematical equations here, but this is how Marrakech feels.

And although its visual history seems to span eons – the city was founded around 1070 – the aesthetic does not seem to clash with or erase what is already there. Time here does not layer in conflict but in continuation – new parts are birthed from previous parts.

Because of this, when the art world descends on the city for 1-54, the international fair dedicated to contemporary African art, the artworks, fashion and design pieces presented against the backdrop of the vibrant, earthy Red City – blending Berber, Andalusian, and Islamic influences – are not competing for space and relevance; they begin to converse. Talks and gatherings unfold in the many inward-facing riads with central courtyards, intricate tile-work, carved wood, lush plants and one or two cats.

The fair itself takes place in one of these magnificent settings, La Mamounia hotel, built in the royal orchard, and like everywhere in the city, lined with orange trees that are currently heavy with their sweet, juicy fruits. The Marrakech iteration, which opened yesterday, is rather small compared with the London or New York editions (coinciding with Frieze). Touria El Glaoui founded the fair in 2013 as a platform for galleries from the continent and its diaspora. The quality of works is fabulous and, to be honest, the size is refreshing after the “super-fairs” that have become too overloaded, too crowded and sometimes too intense.

But as with every art fair, the most real experiences are often located in the spaces surrounding the commercial core, embedded within the fabric of Marrakech itself. And again, these do not compete but instead introduce the important multitude the art world lives off.

One of these surrounding moments is the exhibition at DADA, showing an exploration of the colour blue – its histories, materiality, and symbolic resonance. In Between Blues brings together an intergenerational group of artists from the African continent and its diaspora and thus follows the general DNA of the fair. Through sculpture, installation, textile and design, the project examines blue as a space of memory, identity, movement and transformation.

Moving through all these spaces, what becomes particularly fascinating is how space itself functions in Marrakech. Instead of prescribing spaces strictly according to who has access – a home is private, a hotel is for outsiders – these spaces are hyphenated, as the architecture itself holds structures that consider different uses within them. This dynamic turns restricted spaces into spaces of extended encounter.

Riad Alena is one such example: a boutique hotel inside the historic Medina that doubles as an art residency – RAAR – illustrating this spatial fluidity. Local and international artists are invited to use the space to live, create, exhibit and host like the current exhibition Wheels – Witness in Motion.

Across these places, the artworks that respond to the spaces, that work with the architecture and extend the conversation, reveal something particular. Often the rich ornaments and the earthy, substantial colours leave little room for another visual language. But when you manage to work with rather than layer on top, it tends to work beautifully – like the continuous Fibonacci sequence.