CityLab Daily: Behind Morocco’s Booming Art Scene

Morocco’s capital city, Rabat, is undergoing an artistic revival: colorful murals adorn the walls of tall buildings, theaters are brimming with new plays and the sounds of jazz, and funding for cultural projects is suddenly abundant. But behind the scenes, locals are questioning the motivations behind this renaissance, which has been encouraged by Morocco’s King Mohammed VI. Artists say political or religious commentary is discouraged, and that the government is tightly controlling what forms of expression can be displayed.

“The main objective is not emancipating or bringing citizens closer to culture but rather to polish the image of Morocco, especially abroad,” Adel Saadani, the director of a cultural NGO that was disbanded by a court order in 2018, told reporter Souhail Karam. Today on CityLab: An Arab City’s Booming Art Scene Is Also a Grab at Soft Power