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The Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMVI)

presents its first international urban art exhibition, under the general curatorship of Nicolas Couturieux and Romain Sabah, associate curator. It opened its doors on May 15, 2015, for a run of six months. Through a selection of about thirty works, this exhibition is a survey of urban art around the world, illustrating its current position and aiming to showcase it to everyone, and especially to Moroccan youth. The exhibition is aimed at a broad audience : connoisseurs, enthusiasts, or the simply curious.

Rabat in All Its States Main street was born as part of the Jidar, Toiles de rue Festival (May 15 to 24, 2015) orchestrated by the Fondation Nationale des Musées du Maroc and the association EAC l’Boulvart. Thus, while urban art is on display in all its forms at the MMVI, the artists invited to this first edition of the festival colored the city’s walls with works subject to the test of time. It is only natural that the event begins in the street with its origins, “street art,” and then continues in the museum.

Gone is the anonymous, stealthy graffiti artist! The players and leaders of urban art now have a name and a face. They now enjoy international renown and a constantly growing creative aura. This general survey, of which “street art” is only a tiny part, highlights the different media and techniques that have evolved so much since the days when only the wall and the spray can were the norm. With the presentation of canvases, stencils, street furniture, sculptures, and installations, Tilt, Case Maclaim, Daleast, Maya Hayuk, C215, Thomas Canto, and other artists from the four corners of the world awaken sensibilities to urban art and combat prejudice.

Urban Art, a Message of Openness and Future After presenting the Kingdom abroad, the new challenge is to introduce international creation to Morocco. The country is currently in a cultural momentum that has materialized notably in the opening of the MMVI, a museum whose ambition is to shine beyond national borders. This internationally significant cultural event confirms the place of urban art in museums and other contemporary institutions.

Let yourself be guided through a many-sided visit of this still-emerging movement. Just as the 50s revealed Pop Art, the 2000s propelled Contemporary Urban Art.