Musée Mohammed VI d'Art Moderne et ContemporainRabat, Morocco
This contemporary art museum in the capital city's center opened in 2014, the first major museum to open in Morocco since independence in 1956. The main entrance, on Avenue Moulay Hassan is flanked on both sides by landscaping with space for outdoor exhibitions. These spaces flow into larger spaces on Ave. Allal Ben Abdellah and Rue Ben Ghazi. These three facades also feature porticoes with stacked arcades. The rear facade on rue Tissa abuts the sidewalk, so the portico is replaced by embedded arches at the same level of those on the portico. The facade is bright white, with a blue cornice atop the arcades.
In addition to the galleries, the site contains underground parking, an auditorium, workshops, gift shops, and maintenance facilities. The first floor (rez de chaussee) includes the main hall, 2,558 square meters for visiting exhibitions, a bookstore, classrooms, a restaurant, and other facilities. The second floor (1ere etage) contains 4,921 square meters for permanent exhibitions, the mediatheque (media library), administration, and other facilities.
During his reign, Mohammed VI has been a patron of both bold, innovative contemporary architecture and of the conservation and rehabilitation of mosques, historic neighborhoods, and other culturally significant sites. The Musée Mohammed VI d'Art Moderne et Contemporain can be seen as a bridge between the two, offering a contemporary reimagining of traditional architectural forms and design motifs.
One approaches the building's doorways on three sides by ascending a few stairs and passing through tall horseshoe arches on an elevated rectangular platform. Each of these large arches is flanked by smaller, thinner arches, forming a tripartite structure that evokes monumental gateways such as Bab Bu Jallud in Fes, Bab Mansur al-'elj in Meknes, or even Bab Rouah in Rabat. In contrast to those older, defensive city gates, the portals of the museum are airy and open, connecting on the right and left to a portico spanning the length of the facade and composed of two stacked horseshoe arcades with spandrels featuring teselations of the darj wa ktaf (shabaka) motif that can be found on many of the most recognizable interior and exterior structures of the Hispano-Moresque tradition such as the La Giralda in Seville, the minaret of the never-completed Hassan Mosque in Rabat, the Minaret of Agadir in Tlemcen, the stucco decoration of the mihrab of the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech, and elsewhere.
Inside, the galleries, library, and other facilities on the ground floor and upstairs are arranged around an open space evocative of the interior courtyards of palaces, mosques, and courtyard houses. A skylight illuminates the building's centre, and its light is reflected in a polished stone floor decorated with geometric motifs.
More than 200 Moroccan artists are featured in the collection, including Hassan Hajjaj, Safaa Erruas, Younes Rahmoun, Batoul Shimi, Mounir Fatmi, Lamia Naji, Abbes Saladi, Mohamed Sarghini, Meriem Meziane, Mohamed Hamri, Tayeb Lahlou, and Ahmed Yacoubi. (Masaye 2014).
--Michael A. Toler, 5 December 2025
SOURCES:
Masaye. 2014. “A Look Inside Morocco’s First Contemporary Art Museum.” OkayAfrica. October 14, 2014. https://www.okayafrica.com/morocco-first-contemporary-art-museum-mohammed-vi-museum-for-modern-and-contemporary-art/. Archived at https://perma.cc/PLL3-U96V.
Morocco to Open First Major Museum since 1956." Al Arabiya News. N.p., 22 Aug. 2014. Web. 24 Aug. 2014. http://english.alarabiya.net/en/life-style/art-and-culture/2014/08/22/Morocco-to-open-first-major-museum-since-1956-.html. Archived at: https://perma.cc/69A6-GR5Q.
"Musée National Des Arts Contemporains – Rabat – Maroc." Musée National Des Arts Contemporains – Rabat – Maroc. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Aug. 2014. http://apculture.fr/musee-national-des-arts-contemporains-rabat-maroc/. Archived at: https://perma.cc/HGM7-PC4Q.
"Musée National Des Arts Contemporains." Ministère De L’Equipement, Du Transport Et De La Logistique. N.p., July 2013. Web. 24 Aug. 2014. http://www.mtpnet.gov.ma/Maitrise-d-ouvrage/Grands-Projets/Pages/Musee-National-Arts-Contemporains-RABAT.aspx. Archive.