The Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, abbreviated MMVI, () is a

contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from about 1945 to the present. In the social sciences, contemporary history is also continuous with, and related t ...

and

modern art Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the styles and philosophies of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the tradit ...

museum in

Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ) is the Capital (political), capital city of Morocco and the List of cities in Morocco, country's seventh-largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. ...

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

which opened in 2014. It is one of fourteen museums of the

National Foundation of Museums of Morocco The National Foundation of Museums of the Kingdom of Morocco was created in 2011. Under Law 01.09 governing this foundation, the national museums previously managed by the Ministry of Culture, were entrusted to its tutelage in February 2014. Chai ...

. The museum curates modern and contemporary Moroccan and international art. The MMVI is the first large scale museum built in Morocco since independence from

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

in 1956. It was the first Moroccan public museum to meet International Museography Standards. The museum houses the works of 200 Moroccan artists, including

Hassan Hajjaj Hassan Hajjaj (born 1961), is a Moroccan contemporary artist and photographer who lives and works between London, United Kingdom, and Marrakech, Morocco. He is known for his portrait photographs. Early life Hajjaj was born in Larache, Morocco i ...

and

Ahmed Yacoubi Ahmed ben Driss el Yacoubi (1928–1985) was a Moroccan painter, playwright, author, and storyteller. He was born in Fez, Morocco. Career Yacoubi met the American composer and writer Paul Bowles in Fez in 1947, and later in Tangier. Yacoubi t ...

Background

The museum was founded in 2014 by Mohammed VI, the King of Morocco, in Rabat. The museum was created to preserve and disseminate to the public the heritage of Moroccan art and encourage the creativity of Moroccan artists. It forms part of a wider Moroccan cultural infrastructure including the

National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco The National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco (; ; , previously and ) is located in Rabat, Morocco, with a branch in Tetouan. The former Bibliothèque Générale (General Library) was created in 1924. In 2003, it was renamed the "Bibliothèque ...

and the Mohammed V National Theatre. Rabat was chosen for the location of the museum because it is the capital of Morocco; it is a

Unesco The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

(2012) and is a popular tourist destination. The inaugural exhibition was entitled "1914 2014: 100 Years of Creation".

Mission

The museum curates Moroccan artistic creation in the plastic and visual arts from the beginning of the 20th century onwards. The museum values modern and contemporary Moroccan culture as well as Moroccan artistic and cultural heritage and makes it accessible to the public. This involves referencing, researching, conserving and promoting the art of Morocco. The museum introduces art to young people, promotes artworks by young people and teaches respect for art. It also teaches history of art and assists scientific research in the artistic field.

Architecture

The museum took ten years to build in central Rabat. The museum's architecture incorporates features of Rabat's identity and urbanism; Morocco's cultural diversity; the harmony of Morocco's secular heritage and reworked traditional motifs. The architecture links past to present with Arab-Moorish inspiration in a modern building. However, the design is also a statement of the will to continue in Morocco a well-established tradition of modernity.

The arcades

The outermost

façade A façade or facade (; ) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loanword from the French language, French (), which means "frontage" or "face". In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important asp ...

, called the "architectural skin", is of Arab-Moorish inspiration. It is white with a colonnade of double arches. The cloisters have a motif called "Keef was Darja". The double arches project shadows onto the building according to the light and the seasons. The museum is most easily recognised by the arches.

Chromatic facade

A chromatic façade invites the public to events and exhibitions at the museum. It displays large reproductions of works by Chaibia, Hassan El Glaoui, Mohamed Kacimi, Gharbaoui and Melehi. The largest displays are by . In the evenings, colourful lights are projected onto the building.

Visual axes

The museum has two clear lines of sight, each commencing with an entrance. The east west axis is lit by sunsets at the winter

solstice A solstice is the time when the Sun reaches its most northerly or southerly sun path, excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. Two solstices occur annually, around 20–22 June and 20–22 December. In many countries ...

. Where the clear lines of sight cross, there is a patio atrium for events and temporary exhibitions surrounded by a tea room, bookshop, educational workshops and an auditorium.

Interior

The interior spaces are defined by variations in height, from single to triple. Natural light also helps define the spaces.

Floors

The floors of the halls, corridors and stairs are decorated with traditionally inspired grand abstract patterns. The patterns give an intuitive signage allowing visitors to understand the building's geometric design.

Ornaments

The main theme of the building is a stylized motif. It is worked in a variety of ways such as laser cutting, cast plaster, and chiselled nickel silver. There is a polished stainless steel laser-cut frieze and a similar design made in moulded plaster decorating the light wells. The columns of the atrium are dressed in nickel silver with hand-carved motifs by the artisans of Fez.

References

{{authority control 2014 establishments in Morocco Art museums and galleries established in 2014 Art museums and galleries in Morocco Modern art museums Buildings and structures in Rabat 21st-century architecture in Morocco