HAS L’Atelier 21 this December 10, the street is crowded and the neighborhood cranes its neck, curious about the noise and the crowds rushing both outside and inside the space. A troop of Dhaka Marrakchia There is a tumult of all devils and around her, a large audience celebrates the artist who dances in the center! It’s that Hassan Hajjaj is not an artist like the others. This megaphone of a pop culture made in Morocco, whose works appear in the greatest museums and collections in the world, remains deeply anchored in its culture, close to its own and its peers. The public made up of artists and intellectuals present in large numbers does not deny this. And what a great exhibition for these acrobats !
A meeting on the edge
If the portraits of world stars who posed for Hajjaj make you dream, the series of photos of the acrobats has nothing to envy of Madonnahas Cardi Bor to Billie Ilish… Because our acrobats have grace. From their sophisticated postures emerge the naturalness of the seasoned performer and the elegance of the gymnast. And Hassan Hajjaj’s aesthetic eye knows how to recognize beauty and enhance it with an inimitable scenography. It was in 2018 that the idea of a collaboration with the acrobats was born, the fruit of a meeting at London with Sanae El Kamouniartistic director of Acrobatic group of Tangieret Maroussia Diaz Verbèkecircographer and herself a tightrope walker and juggler. From a passionate exchange, the idea of designing a work transcending artistic and cultural borders was born and put into place in 2019. The show “Fiq!” is then supervised by Hassan Hajjaj, who creates impactful scenography, vibrant costumes and these captivating photographs immortalizing the energy of the young acrobats.
This exposition is in fact only a reminder of this fruitful collaboration and a tribute to these circus artists who fully deserve this spotlight and in bright colors.
The total artist
He has long been nicknamed the “Andy Warhol marocain» and if the reference is entirely flattering, it does not do justice to the exceptional career of this native of Larache who left for London in the 1970s, to rub shoulders with a very eclectic British scene. His career began in fashion and photography, but very quickly, he was caught up by the influences of his mother earth. Traditional Moroccan aesthetics insinuate itself into his works, mixing with international codes, giving him a unique, inimitable signature…
Today, it is impossible to miss his vibrant portraits of urban figures dressed in creations with geometric and exuberant patterns. Its colorful style, inspired by popular Art and street arthas attracted world stars and other anonymous people who put themselves on stage with as much class and exuberance. His photos adorn the collections of the Brooklyn Museum (United States)of Los Angeles County Museum of Art (United States)of British Museum (UK)of Victoria and Albert Museum (UK)of Guggenheim Museum (United Arab Emirates)of the Barjeel Collection (United Arab Emirates) and the European House of Photography (France).
HAS Marrakecha little tour Riad Yima or to theJajjah cultural spacehas Sidi Ghanemgives a nice overview of the artist’s creations. Hassan Hajjaj also reaches out to young Moroccan talents, by exhibiting them in these spaces, to offer them the visibility they deserve, in an ecosystem that is not always easy to penetrate for emerging artists.
