In parallel with its numerous activities, the Merzouga Festival makes us discover the creative potential of the region. This is the case of the couple of painter-artists Johanna and Lahcen Mahmoudi who created, a few years ago, the gallery "Chez les artistes", a space that has become the favourite place for visitors to Merzouga.
A true haven of peace and tranquillity for this young couple who built this space in their own way and with a lot of passion so that it would be welcoming and very warm like its owners. "Our dream was to found an unusual place where everyone can find what they desire. There is, effectively, a real exchange with all the people who visit us from everywhere. I think we have the privilege of having a serene, calm, and artistic place, in front of these wonderful dunes. Then, seeing people who come and return very happy to appreciate the space and what it contains really gives us pleasure", stresses Johanna, very proud that her little dream has been fulfilled. She, with her magnificent portraits, and he, with his abstract works, form a beautiful plastic universe within the dunes of Merzouga. Their meeting is pure chance. But sometimes, chance does things well. You just have to seize the opportunities that present themselves.
"Lahcen was in Morocco and was looking for someone who would give him advice for his paintings. He came across my site where there were my pictorial works that he had appreciated a lot. He then sent me his works to have my opinion on his work. We communicated in this way, for four years, without meeting. One day, he asked me to come to Morocco to visit his country. When I arrived, I was very seduced by the landscapes and the conviviality of the people. That is where we thought of launching our project, that of creating this place for artists. It has been six years since we opened and we are very happy with the results. Because we have the advantage of being in a tourist region. We have Australian, American, Brazilian, Indian clients... It is really multicultural and extraordinary", recounts Johanna, who considers this project as a good investment where exchange and culture prevail, because it has never been a question for Lahcen and Johanna of doing business.
But their dream does not stop there, because they wish from this gallery to organise cultural events, such as literary meetings, in order to initiate the population of Merzouga to reading or other activities. "We are already managing to get school students to visit the gallery. We would like to bring in other artistic disciplines like music, theatre, cinema... for a real exchange. And we are also thinking of showing our works in other cities, in Morocco and elsewhere. For example, very soon, I am going to exhibit a whole collection of works on Morocco in France. I feel 100% Moroccan. Sometimes, I forget that I am French. I express that through my painting", adds Johanna, whose artistic life in the company of her husband Lahcen does not stop at Merzouga. Since they have, to their credit, numerous exhibitions both in Morocco and in France, and for Johanna, her paintings have travelled to other countries: Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and China.
