The events of the International Cultural Season of Assilah in its autumn session passed quickly, yet they will not fade away; due to the tangible impact they leave on thoughts and souls. Notably, the cultural activation of Assilah in the broader sense is remarkable, as political discourse coexists with intellectual, artistic, social, and economic themes, without the observer noticing any discord in the performance of the symphony conducted by Hatem Battoui.
Since he rightfully took over the stewardship of the Assilah Forum, Battoui has been leveraging all his relationships and friendships to ensure the success of seasons that have now extended to nearly half a century. Battoui has remained trustworthy and faithful to the mandate that was passed to him from the late founder of Assilah, Mohamed Ben Issa. He hardly sits in a seminar to comment or participate without noticing the arrival of a guest, prompting him to rise to greet them, or receiving a reminder from one of his team members, so he stands up to continue what is necessary before returning. He constantly moves and oversees activities from the cultural center hall to the Prince Bandar bin Sultan Library, to the studio, to artistic workshops, to visiting guests, and sharing meals with them.
The events will conclude on the eighteenth of this month, following a busy agenda filled with seminars and dialogue sessions; where current political issues were discussed in the seminar “Challenges and Transformations of the Arab World in Light of 2030.” Participants questioned the current choices of the Arab world and assessed its ability to turn challenges into opportunities, transitioning from crisis management to future building. They considered the current regional and international context, where the balance of power is shifting at an unprecedented pace, as a pivotal moment, affirming that those who hold the initiative today will define the boundaries of choices tomorrow, while those who lag behind will find themselves forced to deal with the consequences crafted by others.
This autumn session of Assilah honored the Italian art critic “Toni Maraini,” who had a significant impact on the history of the arts in Morocco, having taught future artists and authored writings about Moroccan art and artists, with detailed references that are valuable documents for understanding the stakes of the art scene in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. The forum also celebrated the writer Mubarak Rabi, with the signing of his book “Mubarak Rabi: The Authenticity of the Writer and the Stages of Writing” in a major seminar that discussed his virtues and narrative and educational output.
Poetry was not overlooked, as the evolving poetics were discussed during the seminar “New Poets in the Arab World and Evolving Poetics: From Multiple Forms to Intermedia,” in addition to the distribution of the “Blond Al-Haidari Prize for Young Arab Poets” and a poetry seminar.
Literary publications were present, including “The Time of Quiet Transition / The Story of Diplomatic Transition in Mauritania” by former Mauritanian Prime Minister Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar, and “Tales on the Edge of Water / Assilah. The Home, Family, and Passersby” by Lebanese writer and journalist Ismail Haidar, as well as the novel “Fabrics of Chaos” by Moroccan writer and journalist Idriss Kessik.
Meanwhile, the activity of visual arts renewed, leaving an artistic and visionary imprint through workshops on engraving, painting, and lithography with the participation of artists from Morocco and Arab and foreign countries, alongside the “Children’s Talent Workshop” and “Literary Expression and Children’s Writing Workshop,” which open up avenues for youth to learn, experiment, and develop artistic and literary skills.
The Mohammed Ben Issa Fine Arts Gallery, at the Hassan II Center for International Meetings, hosted an exhibition of works by Moroccan artists Mohamed Al-Murabiti and Younes Al-Kharraz, while the Culture Palace displayed a collection of photographs of the late Mohamed Ben Issa. A collective exhibition of the creations of “Seasonal Talents” was inaugurated. Various musical performances were presented in the space of Mohammed Ben Issa for Culture and Arts, and the Prince Bandar bin Sultan Library.
