Yto Barrada's 'Agadir' at Barbican Centre Explores Earthquake Aftermath and Colonial Modernism

From 7 February to 20 May 2018, Yto Barrada, a Moroccan artist, showcases 'Agadir' at The Curve gallery within London's Barbican Centre. This exhibition serves as a tribute to the devastating earthquake that struck Agadir, Morocco, in 1960, claiming the lives of 15,000 individuals. On a curved wall, Barrada illustrates 11 structures, highlighting the reconstruction efforts by architects Jean-François Zevaco and Elie Azagury. The display includes twelve wicker chairs crafted by weavers from Tangier, equipped with concealed speakers that play excerpts from Mohammed Khaïr-Eddine's 1967 work, 'Agadir.' Actors dressed in pyjamas recreate a hospital atmosphere, while archival footage critiques colonial modernism, referencing the 1911 Agadir Crisis. A mobile of baskets is suspended at the gallery's conclusion, reflecting the erasure of much Berber heritage in contemporary Agadir.