| This
summer I had the great fortune and honor to participate in the 22nd
International Cultural Moussem (Festival) of Assilah, an international
fine arts residency program and political conference held in Assilah,
Morocco. Artists, poets, musicians, philosophers, educators, critics,
diplomats and media representatives from around the world were invited
by the Ministry of Culture and the Government of Morocco to the coast
of North Africa for a two to three week period to create art, make
music and literally paint the town. Assilah is renowned worldwide
for its murals, and artists are invited to paint the whitewashed walls
of its ancient medina. The murals remain up until the next summer,
when the walls are whitewashed again, and await other artists’ inspirations.
Assilah is also known for the international convergence of art and politics. This year many diplomats and government officials participated in a conference entitled “The Democratization of the South”. Each evening during the festival, musicians and performers presented concerts either in the famed Raissouli Palace halls or in the newly constructed Assilah Cultural Center.These fantastic performances covered an extensive repertoire of music from all over Africa and the Muslim world. Soufi Music, Ensemble de l’Opera du Caire, Dancers and Musicians of Rajastan, Ballet Troupe of Mali, Nasir Chamma, a renowned Iraqi lute artist from Egypt, Troupe Musicale and the Dancers of Senegal, to name a few, were outstanding. |
Moroccan painter, Rashid, in front of |
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According to
the Lonely Planet Guidebook of Morocco, the 2000-year old port of
Assilah, 46 km south of Tangier, boasts a turbulent history. It
was conquered by the Carthaginians, the Romans, and then, in the
10th century, by Norman raiders from Sicily. In the 14th and 15th
centuries came the Christian victories over the forces of Islam.
In 1471 the Portuguese captured Assilah and built the walls around
the city. It was, at one point, taken over by Spain and then by
the Moroccans. Early this century, Assilah was the base for one
of the most colorful bandits ever produced by the wild Rif mountains,
Er-Raissouli. His most profitable business included kidnapping westerners.
He and his gang held many luminaries for ransom, including several
US businessmen. In 1909, he constructed a three-story palace in
Assilah. It includes a main reception room and a stunning terrace
overlooking the sea. It is told that it was from this terrace that
Er-Raissouli forced many convicted murderers to jump to their deaths
onto the rocks below.
It is in this
gorgeous and historically auspicious Palais de Raissouli (Raissouli
Palace) that artists are housed, and exhibitions and concerts are
presented. The headquarters for the Moussem is also here. The government
has built a beautiful conference center near the Palace which has
an auditorium, a spacious gallery and reception halls. Attached
to the original Palace is a dining room where breakfast and lunch
were provided for artists. We were treated to delicious traditional
Moroccan cuisine, including “tagines” (stew) of fresh seafood,
chicken or beef atop couscous, and wonderful fresh fruits, like
figs with honey and watermelon. I can tell you no one wanted to
jump to the rocks below!
This year marked
the opening of new studio spaces, including the inauguration of
the print facility. The director of the print atelier is Mohammed
Kahlil (USA/Sudan), Master Printer and Professor from the New School
at Parsons in New York. Kahlil originally established the printmaking
program for the Assilah Moussem in 1978. He was approached by Mohamed
Benaissa, formerly Ambassador of Morocco to the United States, who
is now President of the Municipal Council of Assilah and Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Morocco; and Mohammed Melehi, Artist and Director
of the Cultural Foundation of Assilah. Benaissa and Melehi both
grew up in Assilah, and through their vision and joint efforts have
revived this small fishing village and made it into the host for
one of the most unique arts festivals in the world and a most popular
tourist destination.
You may be wondering what I accomplished in the studio in Assilah, given all the many wonderful distractions. Well, although there was indeed much to partake of, I created a series of monotypes inspired by so much of the pattern and pottery that I saw. Also, the beautiful light of the ancient city by the sea served to give me great inspiration. There was constantly music playing. Sometimes it was a band of neighbors and happy families, beating drums and blowing horns all night long because a new baby was born. Sometimes it might be because someone was getting married. The awareness that art is a constant natural expression in the life of Moroccans was overwhelming and fascinating. I believe the feast before my eyes and in my ears will sustain me through a chilly, fast-paced and stressful Washington year. On a more professional and technical perspective, it was a great honor to come together with so many different types of artists from a part of the world where one-on-one communication is the key. I firmly believe that political peace and understanding can be bridged through the arts. Many technical differences still exist, especially in the realm of the use of toxic materials, and safety and respect for materials. Many Europeans and Africans still use terrible cleaning chemicals, like White Spirits and low-grade alcohol. We were able to get the kitchen to donate liters of cooking oil to clean plates. Many artists were also constantly smoking cigarettes in the studio. My solution was to rise very early in the morning to print. I also often had to ask visiting tourists, who were observing us work, to please smoke outside! Many of the artists were very curious and intrigued about my multi-drop process and my lexan plate, which I had carried along, rolled up in a tube with my papers and litho inks. I think it is next to impossible to get these materials in Morocco. Mohammed Kahlil imports almost all his materials, including the three presses that were on site, from the States. Travel is the ultimate teacher, and I know that I have learned many new things that have yet to emerge in my work. I feel that as a printmaker I was able to share even more in the community of invited artists, because printmaking is the ultimate community activity. Many different personalities come together in one space. Diplomacy, courtesy, respect and an openness to explore a new way of seeing, are at work. I have returned knowing that everyone has a different culture that truly influences the way they perceive the world and how they make their art. But I also returned knowing that we all really want the same thing-happiness, security for ourselves and our families and the ability to create good work. |
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