Rabat – Morocco’s National Foundation of Museums (FNM) announced its decision to grant free access to its affiliate museums across the country from October 12 to 18.
The program coincides with the sixth anniversary of the inauguration of the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMVI) in Rabat.
The free access concerns 13 museums that operate under FNM in several cities in Morocco, including Tangier, Tetouan, Rabat, Sale, Fez, Meknes, Marrakech, Safi, and Laayoune.
MMVI has hosted many remarkable exhibitions since its inauguration, such as artworks by Morocco’s Chaibia Talal and Hassan El Glaoui, and international artists such as Spain’s Francisco Goya and Pablo Picasso.
In 2019, the museum hosted paintings by French artists Auguste Renoir, Edouard Manet, and Claude Monet as part of the “Les couleurs de l’Impressionnisme,” or “The Colors of Impressionism” exhibition.
MMVI is currently hosting an exhibit on the history of Moroccan painting. It ranges from the works of Ben Ali R’bati, one of the earliest painters in Morocco, to art of the present.
In April 2021, MMVI is set to host paintings by French artist Eugene Delacroix in collaboration with the Delacroix Museum in Paris. Art fans know Delacroix, who lived in the 18th and 19th centuries, for painting the famous “Liberty Leading the People” in 1830.
After the COVID-19-induced closure of museums on March 16, Morocco decided to reopen them with certain restrictions on July 27.
However, Morocco’s museums remained productive during their closure by offering free online visits through a 360° virtual immersion.
Additionally, to support Moroccan artists affected by the COVID-19 crisis, FNM allocated MAD 6 million ($600,000) to purchase their artwork and display it in museums across the country.
Morocco’s Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Othman El Ferdaous and President of FNM Mehdi Qotbi recently signed three conventions, on July 1, to support, share, and promote the cultural wealth of the country.
On June 30, El Ferdaous announced the ministry’s decision to invest MAD 50 million ($5.167 million) to leverage the country’s active cultural and artistic associations.
