{"id":20884,"date":"2026-02-09T16:29:58","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T16:29:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2026\/02\/09\/how-1-54-marrakech-turned-a-boutique-fair-into-a-citywide-moment\/"},"modified":"2026-02-09T16:30:05","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T16:30:05","slug":"how-1-54-marrakech-turned-a-boutique-fair-into-a-citywide-moment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2026\/02\/09\/how-1-54-marrakech-turned-a-boutique-fair-into-a-citywide-moment\/","title":{"rendered":"How 1-54 Marrakech Turned a Boutique Fair into a Citywide Moment"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As the global art world splintered across multiple destinations in early February, Marrakech quietly asserted its relevance. MOHAMED LAKHDAR<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The first week of February was an especially busy moment for the art world this year, and one of the questions I found myself answering most often in recent weeks, repeated across vernissages, dinners, previews, emails and DMs, was: \u201cAre you going to Qatar?\u201d To which, \u201cNo, I\u2019m going to Marrakech,\u201d was rarely the answer people expected.<\/p>\n

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I wasn\u2019t the only one, of course, but in a week that saw major art events in Mexico City and New Delhi, many collectors responded to the magnetizing attraction of Art Basel\u2019s inaugural Doha edition<\/a>. Collectors, galleries, institutions and even celebrities converged en masse on Qatar\u2019s capital, drawn by the promise of a new center of gravity.<\/p>\n

Against this backdrop, hopping onto a plane to Marrakech prompted an unavoidable question: why come here now, when so much of the art world is elsewhere? The question becomes more pointed upon arrival. The 2026 edition of the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair is smaller than in previous years. The number of galleries has been reduced, the fair occupies a tighter footprint and the broader media conversation has largely shifted further east.<\/p>\n

The city itself, however, tells a different story. From the first steps out of Marrakech Menara Airport, it is clear that what\u2019s happening here is entirely different from what\u2019s unfolding in Doha. This year, the boutique fair operated in dialogue with exhibitions spread across the city, keeping visitors constantly engaged\u2014if not by the energy of Marrakech itself, then by a program that extends far beyond the walls of La Mamounia, the state-of-the-art hotel where the fair takes place.<\/p>\n

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Touria El Glaoui. \u00a9 Emmanuel Andre<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the defining features of this year\u2019s fair is the scale of its citywide activation. \u201cWe can\u2019t now distinguish the fair from the program in the city,\u201d 1-54\u2019s founding director, Touria El Glaoui<\/a>, told Observer. \u201cIt\u2019s a mixture of commercial and not-for-profit, or profit and institution.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than 25 exhibitions and events aligned with the fair, involving institutions such as MACAAL and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, as well as independent spaces, artist studios and private foundations\u2014not bad for a city which the rest of the year is definitely sleepier on the contemporary art front.<\/p>\n

In Africa, a distinct identity shaped by context<\/h3>\n

Founded in London in 2013, 1-54 emerged from a clear premise: to create a platform dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. The fair expanded to New York in 2015 and launched its Marrakech edition in 2019. Each location developed its own identity, shaped by its specific audience and context. Marrakech quickly became the most embedded of the three, drawing on the city\u2019s existing networks of artists\u2019 studios, collectorship, its pace and its ambition as a city to become a pole for the narratives of wider Africa. \u201cWe have a focus that is quite specialized,\u201d El Glaoui explained. \u201cIf you come to 1-54 it is because you have on your roster contemporary artists from Africa and the African diaspora, and for that market it\u2019s not as competitive an arena.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s 22 participating galleries included a group of local spaces from Casablanca and Rabat, French galleries with established connections to African artists and galleries operating across the African continent. One that is a staple of the Moroccan art scene<\/a> is Loft Gallery<\/a>, founded in Casablanca and directed by Yasmine Berrada<\/a>, which has been participating in 1-54 Marrakech since 2018. \u201c1-54 Marrakech takes place in our market,\u201d Berrada told Observer. \u201cWe know all the clients there, and also we are really identified and established in the Moroccan art market.\u201d For Loft, the fair has become a fixed point in the calendar. \u201cThis moment of 1-54 in February is very important for us. It\u2019s one of the strongest moments for the gallery.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Nassim Azarzar, Untitled<\/em>, 2025. Acrylic on canvas, 65 x 90 cm. Courtesy of Loft Art Gallery<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In Marrakech, Loft\u2019s engagement extended across multiple sites, in addition to the group presentation at their booth at La Mamounia. They organized an \u201cart takeover\u201d of the city with an exhibition in their space, in Riad al-Mellah and in the Mus\u00e9e de la Parure. It\u2019s a busy time for Loft, as theirs is the only Moroccan gallery presenting at Art Basel Qatar. \u201cWe are aiming at being more and more present in the Middle East art market,\u201d Berrada said, adding that while at Art Basel Qatar they showed pieces from \u20ac18,000 to \u20ac80,000, whereas in Marrakech, works started at \u20ac4,000. At 1-54, Loft curated a collective presentation called \u201cCrossings,\u201d which brought together works by Mehdi-Georges Lahlou<\/a>, Nassim Azarzar<\/a>, Moroccan artist Mustapha Azeroual<\/a>, M\u2019hammed Kilito<\/a> and Samy Snoussi<\/a> around the idea of memory and identity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Marrakech audiences are definitely more familiar with my work than the audience from Doha,\u201d said Azeroual, whose iridescent artworks playing with light were in Loft\u2019s booths in both Marrakech and Doha. \u201cBut at the same time I believe in the universality of art, and I think my work resonated with audiences in both locations.\u201d<\/p>\n

NIL gallery<\/a>, out of Paris, presented at 1-54, with an all-photography booth, and at ZONAMACO, where it presented paintings. \u201cIn Marrakech we wanted to have a two-woman artist presentation, through a curated photographic dialogue between Sara Benabdallah<\/a> and Hasnae El Ouarga<\/a>,\u201d gallery assistant Malou Boussake<\/a> told Observer, adding that Moroccan collectors tend to support Moroccan artists. \u201cThe two artists show two different sides of contemporary Moroccan photography: one more narrative and embodied, the other more meditative and process-driven cyanotypes.\u201d The price range for unique works and limited editions was from \u20ac3,800 to \u20ac9,800.<\/p>\n

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NIL Gallery\u2019s booth. MOHAMED LAKHDAR<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A South-South network<\/h3>\n

With their different targets, focus on different artistic geographies and completely different contexts, El Glaoui doesn\u2019t see Art Basel Qatar as a competitor. \u201cWhat I actually find interesting as a signal is that all of these three fairs, including ZONAMACO in Mexico, are happening all in the Global South.\u201d Could that signal the beginning of a shift in art market geographies? Time will tell, but 1-54 is certainly committed to continuing to promote South-South connections, and this was evident in the presence of Tokyo gallery Space UN<\/a>, which works exclusively with African artists.<\/p>\n

Founded only two years ago, Space UN was conceived in response to a gap. \u201cThere is no platform or network for African artists in Japan, especially for contemporary artists,\u201d Naoki Nakatani<\/a>, director of Space UN, told Observer. \u201cWe are trying to be the advocate for creators from Africa coming into Japan, expanding their narratives outside of the continent without going through Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of the works at the booth are the result of a residency program in which African artists engaged with Japanese-style ceramics, tapestry with a Japanese hand-weaving technique and paper. \u201cI think there are similarities between Africa and Japan in terms of material, but also philosophically,\u201d added Nakatani. \u201cWe share a certain appreciation and some similar traditions.\u201d The price range spanned from works on paper beginning at around \u20ac1,000 to paintings ranging from \u00a35,000 to \u00a318,000. Ceramic pieces were priced between \u00a33,500 and \u00a36,000, while a large tapestry produced using Japanese weaving techniques reached \u00a360,000.<\/p>\n

Walking through 1-54\u2019s booths, it\u2019s easy to be lured in by Amina Benbouchta<\/a>\u2019s delicate paintings of still lifes, with neons that perfectly dialogue with the colors of the canvas. These were presented by Parisian gallery Galerie 208<\/a>, alongside other works, including those of Ivorian Casablanca-based artist Yvanovitch Mbaya<\/a>, who shows works on paper and canvas representing sensual male figures made with coffee as a primary medium.
Galerie 208 has developed a program centered on artists from Africa and the African diaspora, maintaining close ties with Morocco and West Africa. Gallery director Nathan Chichportich<\/a> framed the gallery\u2019s participation in clear terms: \u201cIt\u2019s a chosen, geographical focus. We stand by it. It\u2019s Africa that we are putting forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

An international fair with a local focus<\/h3>\n

MCC Gallery<\/a>, based in Marrakech, presented works including Malika Sqalli<\/a>\u2019s photography exploring identity and the body, while Salma Cheddadi<\/a> showed paintings that examine masculinity through vulnerability and introspection in bright red colors. The former were priced between \u20ac3,000 and \u20ac15,000. \u201cWe are committed to accessibility alongside experimentation,\u201d Jeanne Mansour<\/a>, a curator at MCC Gallery, told Observer.<\/p>\n

What all the gallerists we spoke to agreed on was that the competitive advantage of Marrakech lies in the energy of the city itself, which is rough and enchanting at the same time. \u201cThere is something very magical happening because of the vibe, the weather and the fact that people are happy to be here,\u201d Berrada said.<\/p>\n

1-54\u2019s modest size coupled with the citywide activations meant it was easy to connect with artists, gallerists, collectors and industry people during the week\u2014there were studio visits, cocktails on gallery terraces and loads of opportunities to mingle in Gueliz, the artsy neighborhood. \u201cI think in Marrakech there is more proximity between the public and the galleries and also the public and the artists,\u201d added Berrada.<\/p>\n

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Evan Cla\u0301ver, 1975<\/em>, 2025. Acrylic on canvas, mosaic of 1975 pieces of 15 x 10 cm. Courtesy of the Artist and The Art Affair<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIn terms of destination, I think we\u2019re winning,\u201d added El Glaoui. \u201cI don\u2019t think I have to worry about Marrakech being less popular because something else is happening.\u201d Indeed, her concerns lie elsewhere. \u201cThere\u2019s a certain climate in the world right now where maybe people might not be as encouraged to travel or maybe a bit worried about buying art. I don\u2019t think this is the other art fair\u2019s competition. It\u2019s more about the economic and social environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

El Glaoui points to a growing sense of anticipation among local audiences. \u201cThe Moroccans now are waiting for this week. Before, they would come maybe one day. Now they all come for the weekend.\u201d A testament to this is the opening day of 1-54, where there was barely any room to move across the booths.<\/p>\n

But of course, for the very committed art lover, you can do it all. \u201cI have met a lot of collectors in Doha that came for the first two VIP days and then flew to Marrakech for the opening of 1-54,\u201d Berrada said. \u201cThese days people are ready to fly and to travel. And some of them, yes, did make the effort to do both.\u201d<\/p>\n

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M\u2019barek Bouhchichi, Ce que je suis, ce que nous sommes<\/em>, 2025. Mixed media on rubber, 160 x 270 cm. Courtesy of L\u2019Atelier 21<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More in Art Fairs, Biennials and Triennials<\/b><\/h3>\n

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