King inaugurates in Rabat Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

PERSISMA, Rabat – His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, accompanied by Prince Moulay Ismail SA, conducted Tuesday in Rabat, at the inauguration of the Mohammed VI of Modern and Contemporary Art, a landmark project that will contribute to conservation and influence of artistic and civilizational heritage of the Kingdom.

In a speech on this occasion, the President of the National Foundation of Museums, Mehdi Qotbi stressed that the implementation of this project reflects the will of the sovereign to make culture a real vector of human, social and economic, and His determination to provide the country with high-level cultural facilities that foster creativity and embody the principles of cultural democratization.

Having mobilized investment of around 200 million dirhams, the Mohammed VI of Modern and Contemporary Art Museum is the first museum in the UK solely dedicated to modern and contemporary art museum and meets standards international, has he added.

Located in the heart of Rabat, the administrative capital of the Kingdom and World Heritage City by UNESCO in 2012, the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art is a place for exchange and promotion of talent today, a place where the public will learn about the creation of modern and contemporary artists and where Moroccans will take ownership of their history.

Mirror the dynamics and growth of a country known for its harmonious mix of population, this museum is to create various bridges with foundations and foreign institutions to be part of an artistic universality serving different audiences.

Mohammed VI of Modern and Contemporary Art was not meant to be exclusively a conservation area. It also aims to promote, educate and initiate a wide audience, young and old, to contemporary art, participate in the cultural life of the country by promoting exchanges between the audience and the artists and openness to the world international creation and trends.

This new structure will also offer cultural training cycles and conferences informed public, including the winners of architecture schools, schools of Fine Arts, art historians and art curators.

This architectural gem is spread over three levels and includes an auditorium, exhibition named after the great national artists (Chaibia Talal Jilali Gherbaoui, Meryem Meziane, Ahmed Cherkaoui, Belkahya Farid Hassan Glaoui, André Elbaz, Mohamed spaces Kacimi ), an educational workshop, a laboratory for restoration of works of art, a book, an honor, an administration, a cafeteria, an infirmary and a carpark.

Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art houses during its opening inaugural exhibition entitled “1914-2014: 100 Years of Creation” and tracing the various stages of artistic development in Morocco. The opening ceremony was marked by the screening of a film about Mohammed VI of Modern and Contemporary Art, directed by Noureddine Lakhmari.

HM the King, may God assist him, presided on this occasion, the signing of three agreements. The first is a partnership agreement between the National Foundation of Museums and the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training. It was signed by Benmokhtar Rachid, Minister of National Education and Vocational Training, Mehdi Qotbi.

The second agreement seals a partnership between the National Foundation of Museums and the General Confederation of Enterprises of Morocco (CGEM). It was signed by Miriem Bensaleh Cheqroun, president of CGEM and Mehdi Qotbi.

The third, a partnership agreement between the National Foundation of Museums and the Smithsonian Institution, was signed by Molly Fannon, Director of the Office of International Relations and Programs at the Smithsonian Institution and Mehdi Qotbi.

The Sovereign, on this occasion, signed VI of Modern and Contemporary Art Museum Guestbook Mohammed. HM the King has subsequently completed the decoration of some Moroccan and foreign personalities. The Sovereign has decorated Mr. Jack Lang, former French Minister of Culture, President of the Arab World Institute in Paris, the Grand Cordon of Wissam Al Alaoui and Mrs. Bahija Simou, Director of the Royal Archives, Wissam Al Arch the order of an officer.

HM the King decorated Wissam Al Arch order of Knight Mr. Shahid Abdullah, Secretary General of the Museum Abdelaziz Idrissi, Director of the Museum and Ms. Zineb Benmoussa, Director of Corporate Facilities at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport and Logistics.

The Sovereign has decorated the Wissam Al Moukafaa Al Wathania the order of Commander artists Abdelkarim Al Ouazzani Mohamed Tabbal Saad Benchefaj and Andre Elbaz.

HM the King Wissam Al Alaoui decorated with the order of an officer Pauline Demazière, Founder of the Art Gallery “Atelier” in Rabat, Vanessa Branson, Founder of the Marrakech Biennale, Elisabeth Bauchet Bouhlal , artist, collector of art, and Mr. Lucien Amiel, director of the gallery “Venise Cadre” in Casablanca. The Sovereign Wissam Al Alaoui decorated with the order of Knight Ms. Yannick Lintz, director of the Department of Islamic Art at the Louvre in Paris.

HM the King also decorated the Al Wissam Al Moukafaâ Wathania officer of the order of MM. Karim Chakkor architect responsible for the design of the Museum Mohammed VI of modern and contemporary art, and Karim Mustapha Belfquih, collectors, art lovers, Meryem Sebti, editor of the journal Diptyk Mr. Hicham Daoudi, founder of the first African art exhibition in Marrakech and Mohamed Amine El Kebbaj, architect, executive chairman of the Marrakech Biennale.

On this occasion, HM the King posed for a souvenir photo with the president and members of the National Foundation of Museums.

After the opening ceremony, the president of the National Foundation of Museums presented to His Majesty the King, may God assist him, a pine and a stamp stamped with the logo of the museum Mohammed VI of modern and contemporary art.

On his arrival at Mohammed VI of modern and contemporary art museum, the Sovereign had reviewed a detachment of the Royal Guard, which made the honors before being greeted by the Head of Government, Abdelillah Benkirane, the Minister of the Interior Mohamed Hassad, the Minister of Works, Transport and Logistics, Rebbah Aziz, the Minister of Culture Mohamed Amine Sbihi, Jack Lang, former Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Miguel Angel Moratinos Yannick Lintz, Bahija Simou, the Wali of the Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer region-governor of the prefecture of Rabat, Abdelouafi Laftit, the president of the regional council, Abdelkebir Berkia, chairman of the Municipal Council of Rabat, Fathallah Oualalou President of the Prefectural Council of Rabat, Abdelkader Tatou, president of the National Foundation of Museums, Mehdi Qotbi and managers of this institution and the architect of the museum, Mr. Karim Chakkor.