Hassan Hajjaj tells you “Fiq!” (exhibition)

At L’Atelier 21 this December 10, the street is crowded and the neighbourhood is craning their necks, curious about the din and the crowd pressing both outside and inside the space. A Dakka Marrakchia troupe is making a hell of a racket and around it, a large audience is celebrating the artist dancing in the centre! It is because Hassan Hajjaj is not an artist like the others. This spokesperson for a pop culture made in Morocco, whose works appear in the greatest museums and collections in the world, remains deeply rooted in his culture, as close as possible to his own and his peers. The audience made up of artists and intellectuals present in large numbers is not there to deny it. And what a beautiful exhibition for these acrobats!

A meeting on the wire If the portraits of world stars who have posed for Hajjaj make you dream, the series of photos of the acrobats has nothing to envy to Madonna, Cardi B, or even Billie Eilish... Because our saltimbanques 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 sublimate it through an inimitable scenography. It was in 2018 that the idea of a collaboration with the acrobats was born, the fruit of a meeting in London with Sanae El Kamouni, artistic director of the Tangier Acrobatic Group, and Maroussia Diaz Verbèke, circographer and herself a tightrope walker and juggler. From a passionate exchange, the idea of conceiving a work transcending artistic and cultural borders was born and was put in place as early as 2019. The show “Fiq!” is then supervised by Hassan Hajjaj, who creates a striking scenography, vibrant costumes, and these captivating photographs immortalizing the energy of the young acrobats.

The present exhibition is in fact only a reminder of this fruitful collaboration and a tribute to these circus artists who amply deserve this spotlight and vivid colours. The total artist He has long been nicknamed the “Moroccan Andy Warhol” and if the reference is quite flattering, it does not do justice to the exceptional journey 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 motherland. The traditional Moroccan aesthetic insinuates itself into his works, to mix 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. His colourful style, inspired by popular art and street art, has seduced stars of the world and other anonymous people who stage themselves with as much class and exuberance. His shots adorn the collections of the Brooklyn Museum (United States), the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (United States), the British Museum (United Kingdom), the Victoria and Albert Museum (United Kingdom), the Guggenheim Museum (United Arab Emirates), the Barjeel Collection (United Arab Emirates) and the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (France).

In Marrakech, a short tour to Riad Yima or the Jajjah Cultural Space, in Sidi Ghanem, gives a beautiful overview of the artist's creations. Hassan Hajjaj also extends a hand 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.