Casablanca demolition scenes anchor Under Destruction exhibition at MACAAL

Wednesday 29 April 2026 - 09:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Casablanca demolition scenes anchor Under Destruction exhibition at MACAAL

The Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden in Marrakech is presenting Under Destruction, a new exhibition by Franco-Moroccan artist Ismail Alaoui Fdili, running from May 2 to August 2, 2026. The project is part of the third edition of Mai de la Photo, an event dedicated this year to the theme of memory. The exhibition focuses on the transformation of urban and natural landscapes through demolition sites, with a central emphasis on Casablanca.

The work documents the rapid disappearance of early twentieth-century buildings in neighborhoods surrounding the old medina. These structures, many of them in Art Deco style, are being replaced by standardized developments. The artist captures this transition at ground level, recording both the physical destruction and the social dynamics surrounding it. Residents and workers appear throughout the series, engaged in dismantling, sorting debris, or observing the gradual loss of familiar spaces.

The images are printed on fiber cement and concrete panels, sometimes assembled into large-scale installations. This material choice reinforces the subject matter. The surface of the artwork echoes the texture of the demolished structures. Some pieces are fragmented or layered, creating relief effects that mirror the instability of the environment depicted. A set of concrete stools extends the installation, referencing scenes in which residents sit and watch the demolition of their homes.

Production of the works involved collaboration with artisans from the medina, including individuals directly affected by the demolitions. This process integrates local craftsmanship into the artistic framework while documenting a community in transition. The project also includes a black-and-white documentary film that traces daily life inside a building before its destruction, followed by the stages of demolition. A voiceover from a resident provides continuity, grounding the narrative in lived experience.

The broader project has developed across multiple locations, including Sihanoukville in Cambodia and Romainville in France. These sites reflect similar patterns of accelerated urban change. In Casablanca, the focus is more personal. The artist was born in the city and revisits neighborhoods tied to his own history. The exhibition positions demolition not only as a physical act but as a moment when present reality shifts into memory.