On 2 March 1956, Morocco officially gained independence from France. In the following two decades came a generation of artists and thinkers newly engaged with civic awareness, their creative reawakening pioneered by the Casablanca Art School’s inventive approach to teaching. Combining documentary film and photographs, rarely-seen archive materials and work by 21 different artists, this exhibition at Tate St Ives charts the artistic developments of the era. 

Urban murals, interior design, abstract paintings, graphics and typography together illustrate the breadth of the work generated during the Moroccan ‘new wave’, and the ways in which the Casablanca Art School helped to redefine the relationship between different disciplines. Led by modernist artist Farid Belkahia alongside Mohammed Chabâa, Mohamed Melehi and others, it was an institution that laid the groundwork for a radical new community of artists.

Visit to discover their work and the ways in which political turmoil can lead to creative innovation.