Moroccan Artists on Campus as Mellon Creative Residents

Mohamed El Baz (left) and Mustapha Akrim, two artists from Morocco, are on campus as part of the Mellon Creative Residencies Program.

 

Mohamed El Baz (left) and Mustapha Akrim, two artists from Morocco, are on campus as part of the Mellon Creative Residencies Program.
Mohamed El Baz (left) and Mustapha Akrim, two artists from Morocco, came to campus as part of the Mellon Creative Residencies Program.

An “open studio” event last week offered a glimpse of the work of Mohamed El Baz and also gave the Haverford community the chance to meet sculptor Mohamed El Baz. The two Moroccan artists are on campus as part of the Mellon Creative Residencies Program, which is sponsoring class visits across the Tri-Co and public discussions. Their residencies were planned in conjunction with the fall exhibition Memory, Place, Desire: Contemporary Art of the Maghreb and the Maghrebi Diaspora at the Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery, and a unique course taught by Visiting Associate Professor of Art History Carol Solomon.  Titled “Curatorial Praxis: The Making of an Exhibition,” the course involves students directly in putting together the Memory, Place, Desire gallery show.
For the open studio, which was held in one of the re-purposed spaces in the old Ryan Gym squash courts, El Baz put together a presentation of images of his work and the works he is creating for the upcoming show. One of these works-in-progress is a video installation featuring students from Solomon’s “Curatorial Praxis” class, and from the Haverford community. (For more about the class and the making of the show, visit its blog.) El Baz, who arrived on campus Feb. 23, also offered small-scale reproductions of some of his works for attendees to take away as souvenirs of the event.
Mustapha Akrim, who will be on campus through the end of March, will host his own open studio event on March 18, at 7 p.m. in the Ryan squash courts.
Photos by Brad Larrison.
Flanking the entrance to the Ryan squash court space where the open studio was held, were reproductions of photographic works by Mohamed El Baz.
Flanking the entrance to the Ryan squash court space where the open studio was held, were reproductions of photographic works by Mohamed El Baz.

Visiting Assistant Professor of Art History Carol Solomon, whose "Curatorial Praxis" class is working on a fall exhibition at the Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery that will feature the work of the two artists.
Visiting Associate Professor of Art History Carol Solomon, whose “Curatorial Praxis” class is working on a fall exhibition at the Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery that will feature the work of the two artists.

 
Artist Mohamed El Baz talks about his work at his open studio event.
Artist Mohamed El Baz talks about his work at his open studio event.

 
Mohamed El Baz gave a presentation about his work at the event.
Mohamed El Baz shows some of his work at the event.


 BL_Memory-Place-7 BL_Memory-Place-8
Artist Mohamed El Baz offered small-scale reproductions of his work as souvenirs of the event.
Artist Mohamed El Baz offered small-scale reproductions of his work as souvenirs of the open studio event.