Casablanca Art School's Postcolonial Avant-Garde Gets Major Frankfurt Exhibition
The Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt is currently showcasing a significant exhibition dedicated to the Casablanca Art School, a prominent avant-garde art movement in Morocco that flourished between 1962 and 1987. Following Morocco's independence in 1956, Casablanca emerged as a vibrant cultural center. The exhibition features approximately 100 works created by 22 artists, such as Farid Belkahia and Mohamed Melehi, intertwining traditional Moroccan elements with modern artistic styles, including Bauhaus influences. Supported by Stadt Frankfurt, Hessische Kulturstiftung, and Fraport AG, this initiative seeks to enhance the understanding of contemporary abstract art and highlight the contributions of the Casablanca Group.
Key facts
- Exhibition at Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt is the first major institutional show on the Casablanca Art School.
- The school was active from 1962 to 1987, following Morocco's independence in 1956.
- Key figures include Farid Belkahia, Mohammed Chabâa, Bert Flint, Toni Maraini, and Mohamed Melehi.
- The movement combined local history with Bauhaus ideas, fusing Western arts with vernacular heritage.
- Around 100 works by 22 artists are on display, including paintings, murals, crafts, and design.
- Archival materials such as film footage, journals, and photographs are also featured.
- The exhibition is supported by Stadt Frankfurt, Hessische Kulturstiftung, and Fraport AG.
- Curators are Morad Montazami and Madeleine de Colnet of Zamân Books & Curating.
Entities
Artists
- Farid Belkahia
- Mohammed Chabâa
- Bert Flint
- Toni Maraini
- Mohamed Melehi
- Mohamed Chabâa
Institutions
- Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt
- Stadt Frankfurt
- Hessische Kulturstiftung
- Fraport AG
- Zamân Books & Curating
- Schirn Kunsthalle
- Casablanca School of Fine Arts
- Bauhaus
Locations
- Casablanca
- Morocco
- Frankfurt
- Germany
- Paris
- Rome
- Madrid
- Baghdad
- Algiers
- Maghreb
- High Atlas
- Anti-Atlas