Morocco’s art scene is diverse and growing, spanning independent spaces, commercial galleries and international fairs. While Marrakech positions itself as a global hub, Casablanca’s scene is closely tied to its history and political reality.
My report from Marrakech and Casa has just been published by the German magazine Qantara.
Here is the link to the article
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Latest article (in French) for Le Quotidien de l’Art about independent spaces in Rome. Sometimes I got to write about my turf as well! online and in the paper edition.
“Lorsqu’on évoque l’art contemporain en Italie, Milan et Turin s’imposent comme des évidences. Rome, elle, est souvent reléguée au second plan et perçue comme périphérique. Pourtant, loin des projecteurs institutionnels et de la hype, la capitale italienne cultive une vitalité singulière, une énergie nourrie par des liens humains forts, des solidarités de terrain et un rapport avec le territoire.”
Here is the link to the article
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Loft Gallery director has spent nearly two decades building one of the country’s most important contemporary art spaces, while quietly assembling a collection guided entirely by instinct and love.
I have interviewed her for Observer.
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In the work of the young Egyptian artist Mariem Abutaleb , the Arabic language and alphabet become a symphony of signs that attempts to remove barriers. “When writing transcends readability, it’s meant to be felt,” says the artist. Her work is a visual demonstration of this idea.
From afar, her work looks as familiar as calligraphy, it’s only by coming close that one realizes she’s not referencing a specific language. And it’s precisely in this fluid approach that her artistic practice lies.
I have interviewed the artist for The Markaz Review.
Here is the link to the interview
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421 contradicts several preconceived ideas the West might hold about the UAE art scene, often associated with large institutions projecting national ambition outward, from the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the forthcoming Guggenheim to the Sharjah Biennial. Taking another approach, 421 operates on a smaller scale, with slower timing and direct relationships with artists.
I visited 421 Art Campus and reported for ArtAsiaPacific.
I have written a city guide of Oslo for the magazine IFDM: from the traditional houses of Grünerløkka to avant-garde architecture and contemporary design, here’s my 24-hour itinerary to uncover the many faces of a constantly evolving capital.
Here’s the link to the article (in Italian)
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The 2026 edition of the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair Marrakech is smaller than in previous years. The number of galleries has been reduced, the fair occupies a tighter footprint and the broader media conversation has largely shifted further east.
The city itself, however, tells a different story. This year, the boutique fair operated in dialogue with exhibitions spread across the city, keeping visitors constantly engaged—if not by the energy of Marrakech itself, then by a program that extends far beyond the walls of La Mamounia, the state-of-the-art hotel where the fair takes place.
I reported from the fair for Observer.
My piece about the Singapore art week was published by Observer. The consolidation highlights the tension between scale and specificity of the fairs Art SG and SEA Focus, prompting questions about how regional narratives can retain clarity and resonance in an increasingly globalized marketplace.
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First, you smell it. Then you see it. The encounter with Afghan artist Malina Suliman’s work at Riga’s annual contemporary art exhibition, Survival Kit 16, is first and foremost olfactory — therefore primal. It enters the body before it enters the intellect.
Malina, who began her practice with street murals and clandestine painting, now constructs environments that behave like living organisms: smelling, staining, ageing, and transforming.
I have interview the artist for The New Arab
Here is the link to the interview
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The relationship between Korea and the Gulf countries is longer and more complex than it may seem. These ties have shifted from oil and construction to culture, and the exhibition “Proximities” at Sema, the contemporary art museum of Seoul testifies that.
I saw the exhibition and reviewed it (in Italian) for il Manifesto.
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In recent years, a new generation of Uzbek artists has begun to reshape how culture, history, and identity are visually narrated.
Among them is Oyjon Khayrullaeva, whose practice moves fluidly between photography, digital collage, and large-scale public installations.
I have interviewed the artist for Times of Central Asia.
Here is the link to the interview
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Like institutions globally, Norway’s biggest art museums are trying to adapt, sometimes haltingly, to a society whose values are shifting in real time. I travelled to Oslo to report for the Observer.
Here is the link to the article
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Naima Morelli is an arts writer and journalist specialized in contemporary art from Asia-Pacific and the MENA region.
She has written for the Financial Times, Al-Jazeera, The Art Newspaper, ArtAsiaPacific, Internazionale and Il Manifesto, among others, and she is a regular contributor to Plural Art Mag, Middle East Monitor and Middle East Eye as well as writing curatorial texts for galleries.
She is the author of three books on Southeast Asian contemporary art.
Reach out: contact [at] naimamorelli.com
