From February 5 to April 6, 2026 | Opening on February 7 at 18 p.m.
In resonance with the 1-54 Marrakech fair, Galerie 208 — Paris & Marrakech — presents in partnership with the Mandarin Oriental the exhibition “The Memory of Gestures”, a curatorial project that explores gesture as a primary language and matter as a living archive.
A Unique Artistic Exploration
Through eleven artists from Morocco and the contemporary African art scene, this exhibition explores how artists transform matter into language and gesture into memory. Light, textiles, mother-of-pearl, coffee, bronze, metal, and recycled materials become vehicles of meaning, opening a window onto origins, heritage, and contemporary realities.
The Featured Artists
Major Moroccan Artists:
- Soumiya Jalal Immersive installations of large fabrics where the textiles become inhabited landscapes
- Mahi Binebin : a new body of work on paper, where pigments and gestures compose figures inhabited by memory
- Amina Benbouchta : writing with light through suspended neon lights
Young Moroccan Artists:
- Loutfi Souidi sculptures in metal and wood
- Youssef Elmekaoui : creations in wax, plaster, wool, sugar and salt
- Margaux Derhy : textile traditions in collaboration with Berber craftswomen
- Inès-Noor Chaqroun : innovative mixed techniques
African Artists:
- Yvanovitch Mbaya (Ivory Coast): processing coffee as an organic material
- Reggie Khumalo (South Africa): Exploring collective memory
- Enoch Nii Amon Hammond (Ghana): Shaping mother-of-pearl into living surfaces
- Tesprit Tete (Togo): Sculptures made from recycled flip-flop soles
A Dialogue Between Paris, Marrakech and Africa
This exhibition continues Galerie 208's commitment to artistic practices where matter becomes language and gesture, shared memory. The opening is part of the 1-54 art fair's VIP program and extends well beyond the fair's boundaries, encompassing a longer period and a dedicated space at MO Studio.
Practical information
Exhibition dates
From February 5st to April 6 2026
Special moments with the artists
Opening on February 7, 2026 at 18 p.m.
Directions
Free
Hours
- Permanent presence during the fair 1-54
- Then on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 12pm to 18pm
- Outside of these hours, visits can be arranged by appointment.
Location
MO Studio
Mandarin Oriental, Marrakesh
Address
Royal Golf Road
40000 Marrakech, Morocco
Contacts
Gallery 208
E-mail : [email protected]
Phone: + 33 6 19 02 35 31
Mandarin Oriental
E-mail : [email protected]
Phone: + 212 524 29 88 88
