Naima Morelli

Published! 1-54 Marrakech on Observer

A visitor wearing a headscarf stands in a gallery space with bright blue walls, looking at two large abstract paintings framed in light wood, one composed of organic pastel shapes and the other of interlocking geometric forms.

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.

Here is the link to the piece

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