Qatar-Morocco 2024 YoC unveils Jedariart project in Rabat

The Years of Culture (YoC) initiative announced the Rabat, Morocco iteration of Jedariart, a public art programme that showcases the creativity of Qatari and Qatar-based artists through murals and collaborative street art.

For the first time this year, the QM’s mural programme collaborated with Morocco’s Jidar street art festival under the lead of the General Commissioner of Qatar Morocco 2024 YoC in Rabat’s serene Hassan II Park.

Three Qatari artists have partnered with three Moroccan artists to create joint installations under Jidar’s project “Cubist Landscape”.

In a press statement, Dimitrije Bugarski, public art specialist overseeing the programme, said: “The Jedariart project in Rabat celebrates the enduring friendship between two nations and highlights the artists who breathe life into our shared cultural heritage.”

The Rabat edition of Jedariart, titled “Cubic Landscapes,” consists of three art cube installations created collaboratively by three Qatari and three Moroccan muralists. Painting began on October 21 and was unveiled to the public on October 27. Set in the scenic Hassan II Park, these structures merge traditional painting with contemporary street art, symbolising the convergence of cultural and creative diversity from both nations. The cubes, serving as visual metaphors for journeys, invite viewers to experience the fusion of two distinct art traditions in one unique space.

Hassan II Park is an expansive public space located in the heart of Rabat near the historic site of Chellah and the Bab Zaer gate. Three artistic duos collaborated on the installations: Anfal al-Kandari (@funkyah), a Kuwaiti/Qatari visual artist exploring themes like the inner child and parallel universes, partnered with contemporary Moroccan artist Marmouche Hamza (@hamzamarmouche).

Sharefa al-Mannai (@90mannai), a multidisciplinary artist known for mixing surrealism and collage art, teamed up with Moroccan muralist Fatima Ezzahra Khilad (@ms_timaaa), whose work delves into the concept of memory and its lasting impact on the present.

Another pairing includes Mubarak al-Thani, who collaborated with Moroccan graphic designer and illustrator Aicha Abouhaj (@aicha_abou_art), who is passionate about exploring her Amazigh heritage and identity.

Jedariart, first launched by the Public Art Department of QM in 2020 under the patronage of its chairperson, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, brings art into the public sphere, encouraging reflection on cultural, social, and historical themes.

From Doha's Corniche to Souq Waqif, Hamad International Airport, and even the Qatari desert with installations like Richard Serra’s monumental sculpture East-West/West-East, the programme creates unexpected encounters with art.

The Jedariart Cubic Landscapes installations will remain in Hassan II Park through the end of 2024, with plans for a public exhibition thereafter.