For its 8th edition, AKAA is highlighting curatorial practice in the context of a fair and its market.
Lead by Artistic Director, Armelle Dakouo, a number of invitations have been extended to curators and artists to present projects, installations and critical pieces that question curatorial practice and the stakes it defends, enabling critical thought regarding the artist’s approach while giving them access to different types of exhibition space and thus, of expression. Curatorial practice contributes by shifting its impact, to the visibility of an artist, a scene and/or an artistic community. Curatorial practice makes a lasting contribution to the artist’s career and growth.
MCC GALLERY will represent Amine EL Gotaibi, one of the most daring conceptual Moroccan artists. He is known for his immersive large-scale works. The artist’s creative process, often shaped by long term projects, involves an intimate relationship with natural elements which he links to a historical and societal reflection on Maghreb and Africa.
His "Visit to Okavango" project has infused Amine EL Gotaibi entire approach since 2011. He has since traveled across Africa to “meet his own continent” through various participations such as Congo Biennale (Kinshasa, 2019) and a residency at Nirox Foundation (Johannesburg, 2020). Before this, his work was notably exhibited in MMVI (Rabat, 2014), Institut du monde arabe (Paris, 2014), 1-54 Art Fair (Marrakesh, 2019), Salone del Mobile (Milan, 2022), as well as Brussels, Madrid, Sharjah, etc.
The artist uses innovation through experimentation of mediums and in turn sparks intrigue and discussion, for inspiring change in a stagnant society. Whether its rammed earth, Corten steel or natural wool, Amine El Gotaibi sublimates each by letting the material convey its own message. The use of natural materials thus gives to the viewer a feeling of universality and proposes a deeply meditative apprehension of his work.
Clearly demonstrated through MCC GALLERY’s poignant inaugural solo exhibition VISIT (2021-2022) in Marrakech, a strong sense of aesthetics emanates from Amine El Gotaibi’s creative process, fusing his most complex and impressive oeuvres with poetry. The monumental piece "Mountain" was thus the highlight of the exhibition. "Desert of Wool" is also a key work in the artist carrier as it is one of his first creations with wool, presented during his acclaimed solo exhibition "Perspective of Seduction" in 2019. The "Dry River" photography series is finally an original and rarely shown work from a project of 2008, which initiated his fascination with notions of fertility and sterility.
