General presentation :
Dar Al-Ma’mûn is an international center for artistic residencies located 14 km from Marrakech in the village of Tassoultante (Ourika valley). The project emerged as a cultural platform that aims to provide support to emerging artists in visual arts and promote Moroccan and African cultural identity beyond borders by working towards intercultural exchange. We believe that culture is a key expression of local, economic and social development.
Dar Al-Ma’mûn will include artist studios, a research center in literary translation (Arabic-English-French) and a library open to all, specializing in social sciences, literature, poetry, aesthetics and art history. Throughout the year, Dar Al-Ma’mûn will offer lectures on social themes and cultural events to educate audiences on contemporary creation in a will to openness.
Awaiting completion of the final 4000 sq.meter building, DAM is currently settled in the heart of the Fellah Hotel, who, as a privileged partner, are committed to our shared ethical and common values.
I - Presentation of Dar Al-Ma’mûn programs, international center for artistic residencies.
The name Dar Al-Ma’mûn comes from the intellectual of the same name, an Abbasid caliph born in Baghdad in the 9th century, renowned for having worked all his life for cultural diversity and convergence of cultures including the translation of Greek works into Arabic.
In common language, Dar Al-Ma’mûn literally means House of Wisdom.
Comprising of a 4000 sq. meters building on three hectares of grounds, Dar Al-Ma’mûn is both a place of contemplation and work and is open to the public for exhibitions, lectures, film programs and video artists, a library, bookstore and cafe. The workspaces are divided into two: a visual arts center and a research pole in literary translation.
I - 1 - The visual arts center
The four workshops are dedicated to Moroccan, African and international artists for stays of three to five months.
We allocate a grant of 55,000 dirhams, or 5,000 euros per person for producing works and the artists benefit from full board and lodgings during their stay. Dar Al-Ma’mûn is an ongoing artist residency, which means that we will host artists throughout the year on the basis of four workshops per session.
a - Studio visit program
Artists are selected, based on a call to application, by an international jury of art professionals renewed regularly. During the artists’ stay, these professionals (art critics, curators, cultural institutions directors...) will make individual workshop visits so that the selected artists have a vision of today’s current challenges and a critical eye. We are extending this approach by implementing an “à la carte” program of visits to which we will invite professionals from Morocco, the African continent, Asia, Europe or the United States. It is a unique opportunity for young emerging artists to meet significant professionals and build up a professional network.
b - Workshop Factory
On site we provide tools and materials to the artists for their work production. This platform for work on wood and metal is an essential support to accompany the artists in residency. Besides the factory workshop in Dar al-Ma’mûn, we encourage artists to produce works in partnership with Marrakesh craftsmen. To put this into practice, we are currently listing the skills and technical data from the region of Marrakesh and subsequently in the rest of Morocco. By welcoming young emerging artists, works produced during their residency at the Dar Al-Ma’mûn will travel to institutions and collections worldwide. Thus, our endeavour to spread culture and heritage of Moroccan skills.
c - International programs exchange between residences
These are partnerships between cultural organizations around the world promoting the freedom of movement of artists and works. Within a year, Dar Al-Ma’mûn will establish partnerships with other residencies . Partnerships of this type, with major local institutions, recognized by contemporary art professionalsand the public, will help young Moroccan artists to work on short stays abroad, enabling them to show their works and forge an international professional network.
I - 2 - The translation research center
The Dar al-Ma’mûn library aims at providing multilingual resources for the resident artists and scholars. Its collections will be essentially devoted to literature and social sciences, with a focus on esthetics, as well as on Arab culture and thought, old and new. It will be free and open to the public, including students and professors from the university of Marrakech with which we are collaborating.
The library will host and coordinate the activities of the Dar al-Ma’mûn translation centre. These will consist of translators’ residencies, as well as seminars and conferences. Being convinced that the warped media image of the Arab world has to do with a lack in cultural translation and interest, we will foster translation into other languages (primarily, though not exclusively, French and English) of texts offering a more complex view of the Arab world than is usually conveyed. On the other hand, we will focus on translating some key texts of esthetic theory and art criticism into Arabic. This goes beyond translation strictly conceived, since what is ultimately at stake is the emergence of a new generation of theorists and critics with few resources to draw on in order to build a new way of looking and a new esthetic language in Arabic. On top of being a haven for artists and scholars, the library strives to be open to its immediate, book-devoid rural environment. We are opening a separate children’s library, and offering literacy courses to adults from the neighboring villages. Our resident artists and scholars will be invited to share their knowledge and enquiries with this unusual audience.
II - 3 - Diffusion
a – Dar al-Ma’mûn residency artists diffusion
Linked with the professional workshop visit program, we will create partnerships with Moroccan and foreign cultural institutions to organize exhibitions of our residents work. The aim is double: develop public awareness of the work created during the three to five months’ residency and professionalize the young emerging artists’ approach in a context that contributes to their reputation.
b - Dar Al-Ma’mûn building
In operation from 2012, the 4000 sq. meter building on three hectares of landscaped grounds, is the meeting point for artists, academics, art professionals and amateurs interested in our cultural program, our café, bookstore and library.
The 500 sq. meter showroom will enjoy a rich cultural program: both artists in residency, artists invited to design specific works and lectures, readings, discussions, performances. This program will be open to creation as widely as possible in order to represent it’s richness, with Arab and foreign authors and intellectuals. The Dar Al-Ma’mûn exhibition program alternates with young artists exhibitions and writers, and established artists in order to promote development of a regular public.
IV - Dar Al-Ma’mûn artist residencies selection committees and selected artists :
The first artist residencies session was held from October 2010 to March 2011. The jury consisted of Sandra Mulliez (Founder of SAM Art Projects - Paris), Catherine David (curator and head curator of the Ministry of Culture’s Bureau of National Museums - France), Colette Barbier (Director, Fondation d’entreprise Ricard - Paris), Ami Barak (independent curator), Enrico Lunghi (Director of the Mudam - Luxembourg and President of IKT International), Kamel Mennour (Kamel Mennour Gallery - Paris).
5 selected artists :
Rheim Alkadhi (Irak / U.S.A), Fayçal Baghriche (France - Algeria), Ahmad Hosni (Egypt), Mamadou Athie (Senegal) et Jorge Pedro Nunez (Venezuela).
The second artist residencies session was held from June 2011 to November 2011.
The selection committee consists of: Marc-Olivier Wahler (Director of the Palais de Tokyo - Paris), Chris Sharp (Journalist, Editor at Large Kaleidoscope and independent curator), Vanessa Branson (Curator of The Wonderful Fund - London, founder of AIM Biennial - Biennale of Contemporary Art in Marrakech), Yto Barrada (artist and Director of Cinémathèque de Tanger - Morocco) and Nathalie Vallois (Galerie Georges-Philippe and Nathalie Vallois - Paris).
5 selected artists :
Mohamed Arejdal (Morocco), Julia Cottin (France), Nicolas Moulin ( France), Natalyia Slinko (Ukraine-USA), Stéphane Vigny (France).
The third artist residencies session has started since november 2011.
The selection committee consists of: Marie de Brugerolle (Independant curator), Mario Cristiani (Director of Galleria Continua - San Gimignano, Beijing, Le Moulin), Bob Nickas (Independant curator), Jack Persekian (Director of Al-Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art, Jerusalem),
Mohamed Rachdi (Curator & Responsible for Sponsoring at Société Générale, Morocco)
4 selected artists : Mario Pfeifer (Germany), Megumi Matsubara (Japan), Elin Hansdottir (Iceland) and Nida Sinnokrot (Palestine).
For the next session, we will open two more workshops specifically for artists from countries of the MENA region (Middle East - North Africa), so six artists per session.
V - Partnerships and labels
UNESCO - Aschberg Programm
AFAC - Arab Fund for Art and Culture
Institut National des Beaux-Arts de Tétouan, Morocco
AIM - Arts in Marrakech, Contemporary Art Biennial, Morocco
Fondation Zakoura, Morocco
Anna Lindh Foundation (Euromediterranean Fondation for intercultural dialogue)
ESAV (Graduate School of visual arts - Marrakech)
ONG Bibilothèques sans frontières (www.bibliosansfrontières.org)
ResArtis (worldwide network of artists residencies)
VI - Contacts
http://www.dam-arts.org
Dar Al-Ma’mûn: Km13, route de l’Ourika, Tassoultante, Marrakesh – Morocco
Write to : Dar Al-Ma’mûn c/o Ourika Prestige, B.P.2219 , Bureau de poste Marrakesh, 40 000 Marrakesh - Morocco
Contact for the press :
press@dam-arts.org
Artist Residencies
Carleen Hamon, co-director : Cell. Fr. : +33.6.68.22.89.81 / Ma. : +212.6.19.69.95.78 / Carleen.hamon@dam-arts.org
Julien Amicel, co-director : Cell. Fr. : +33.6.61.88.03.37 / Ma. : +212.6.6.69.95.77 / Julien.amicel@dam-arts.org
Library & Translation research center :
Omar Berrada, director : Cell. Ma. : +212.6.76.65.15.48 / omar.berrada@dam-arts.org
Dar Al-Ma’mûn is a non-profit organization. It consists of a Swiss Foundation of international character and a non-profit-making Morrocan law association based in Marrakech.
The Dar al-Ma’mûn Foundation aims to promote social development by supporting cultural creation, especially visual arts and literature. Activities of Dar Al-Ma’mûn exist thanks to contributions from its donors. Shortly, the Dar Al-Ma’mûn Swiss Foundation will allow European donors tax exemption in their country of origin.
Foundation Board:
Mr. Redha Moali, Founder and Chairman
Mr Deepak Gulati, Head of global equity proprietary trading JP Morgan
Ms Colette Barbier, Director of the Ricard Foundation for Contemporary Art, Paris
Mr. Philip Mallard, Director Geneva branch, Exane Derivatives
Mr. Ali Benmakhlouf, philosopher, teacher of Arabic philosophy and philosophy of logic, Chairman of the Advisory Committee of Professional Conduct and Ethics Institute of the Development Research Institute, a member of the National Advisory Committee on Ethics (CCNE)
For informations on the Foundation:
Director: Julien Amicel
Contacts: Morocco +212.6.19.69.95.77 / France +33.6.61.88.03.37 / email: julien.amicel@dam-arts.org
