The capital of the Gharb region experienced the rhythm of the fourth edition of the Arab Symposium of Plastic Arts at the beginning of this spring season. A cultural event that has contributed to the influence of Kenitra beyond national borders.
Organised by the "Mohammed El Boukili: Creation and Communication" Foundation, the Arab Symposium of Plastic Arts is now an unmissable event in the cultural agenda of a city that aspires to multidimensional development. This fourth edition brought together several painters and sculptors belonging to various schools and pictorial movements from four Arab countries. For four days, the artists gave free rein to their imagination to create beautiful works.
Held around the theme "Contemporary Arab painting and the institutions in charge of space management: what strategy?" the event bore the name of Geneviève Barrier Demnati, a French orientalist painter, born on 4 January 1893 in Loches (Indre-et-Loire) and died on 14 March 1964 in Taroudant. According to Paul Barlattier, former screenwriter and member of the French Academy of Sciences, "Geneviève Demnati devoted herself to the Sahara; she became its most conscientious, most truthful, most faithful painter. She took care not to exaggerate it chromatically, not to distort it. In her paintings, light is everywhere, in the vivid arteries of the rocks or walls, in the harmonious orb of the great dunes, in the shadows of the towers and marabouts; it is sovereign, it sparkles, it jumps out at you... the result obtained is admirable..."
According to Mohamed El Boukili, president of the organising Foundation, the choice of the theme for this meeting reflects the desire to encourage dialogue between artists and those responsible for space management with a view to introducing the aesthetic dimension into the architectural and urban planning field. "The symposium also aims to promote aesthetic values, culture, and plastic arts in Morocco, while opening up to the experiences of famous artists and creators from the Arab world," he specifies.
This cultural event, organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture in partnership with the Wilaya, the Regional Council, and the urban commune of Kenitra, was also distinguished by the organisation of a conference led by professor and art critic Mohammed Chiguer on the relationship between Arab plastic arts and the institutions in charge of space management. The organisers also made sure to offer a rich and varied programme to the guests. Visits to historical sites in Rabat, Mehdia, and Banasa were organised on this occasion. The Arab painters did not fail to express their wonder at the historical richness and the beauty of the Kingdom's landscape. On the sidelines of the symposium, an exhibition of paintings from the last three editions was organised at the Sidi Mchiche El Alami Foundation.
