Skip to main content
FOTO CHILE MARRUECOS 2011
11May
Events

FOTO CHILE MARRUECOS 2011

The inauguration of a retrospective exhibition, at La Alhambra Palace, with Chilean artists Alexis Diaz, Paz Errazuriz, Alvaro Hoppe, Javier Godoy, Miguel Navarro, Claudio Perez, Leonora Vicuña and Alejandro Wagner, will set the end on May 13 of 2011 Foto Chile-Morocco binational meeting, mega project managed by Grupo Ocho, which is made up of the quoted creators.

 

Four exhibitions have been carried out in Coquimbo and Santiago during the meeting, as well as projections in the urban space and activities shedding light on the photographic work of eleven prominent Moroccan artists. The election of the place for the event’s closing ceremony represents a recognition to the patrimonial site, which is related to the Arabic culture and is very important in the history of Chilean architecture (La Alhambra Palace, Compañía 1340, current seat of Fine Arts National Society, declared National Monument in 1973, during Salvador Allende’s presidency), built between 1860 and 1862 following the aesthetics of Sevilla’s Alcazar and La Alambra Palace, in Granada.

 

One year after visiting Morocco to attend the 16th National Hall of Photographic Art (SNAP), organized by the Moroccan Association of Photographic Art (AMAP), the members of Grupo Ocho celebrated the experience and ties created with their homologues in the Arab country.

 

The participation in SNAP included Huellas de lo cotidiano collective exhibition, as well as Antonio Quintana’s retrospective –the great referent of Chilean photography from the 20th century–, the movie La ciudad de los fotografos, by young director Sebastian Moreno, and promotion and discussion activities regarding to the genre and its development in Chile.

 

Ever since, Grupo Ocho continued the experience in Santiago, and called eleven Moroccan photographers to attend the event 2011 Foto Chile Marruecos. One of the sites included in the project was Mohammed 6th Center for Civilizations Dialogue, known as La Mezquita de Coquimbo (The Mosque of Coquimo) –the third one built in Chile– which counts on a minaret that is a replica of Kutubia Mosque.

 

An exhibition on the trip to Morocco was inaugurated at Chile Arte de Coquimbo gallery, during the sessions –started in April–, titled Ocho fotografos/Cinco días (Eight photographers/Five days), where an outdoor projection was displayed, showing the works of Moroccan photographers and authors from the 4th Region. A sticker was also made with pictures of authors and people who live around the Mosque; other Moroccan exhibitions were inaugurated in the ARCOS Institute in Santiago, and photographers from both countries had the chance to attend the colloquium Marruecos y Chile en la fotografia contemporanea (Morocco and Chile in the contemporary photography).

 

These activities in patrimonial spaces such as the Mosque and La Alhambra Palace boost the spreading of Arab culture’s present aspects and its strong presence in Chile. The objective of the exhibition in Foto Chile Marruecos meeting, is promoting the support, public or private, for monument restoration.

 

2011 Foto Chile Marruecos has counted on the organization and sponsorship of Morocco Embassy in Chile, the sponsorship of the National Council of Culture and Arts (CNCA) and Morocco Deposit & Management Bank. As well as the collaboration of EPSON, Mohammed 6th Center for Civilizations Dialogue (Mosque), the House of Arts, Chile Art Gallery, Huelen Workshop, Coquimbo Municipality, ARCOS Photography Gallery in Santiago, the State Department’s Office of Cultural Affairs (DIRAC) through its Responsible for Heritage, Martin Donoso, and specially Patrice Loubon, artist, curator and director NegPos Gallery, Nimes.

 

Source: Press release sent to this editorial department byElisa Cardenas

 

prensa.elisa@gmail.com/ chiletexto@gmail.com