Banque Populaire Art Gallery, Oujda

A regional art gallery inside Banque Populaire’s Oujda headquarters

Banque Populaire Art Gallery, Oujda is located within the bank’s regional headquarters in the district developed around the city’s new railway station. The gallery opened on 6 October 2022, less than a year after the inauguration of the thirteen-storey headquarters building. It was created by converting an existing exhibition room into a purpose-designed space for presenting art.

This is neither a public museum nor an independent commercial gallery. It is a corporate cultural initiative whose stated purpose is to support artistic life in Morocco’s Oriental region, provide visibility for regional artists and introduce wider audiences to contemporary visual practice.

“Expressions plurielles”: the inaugural exhibition

The opening exhibition, Expressions plurielles, ran from 6 October 2022 to 28 February 2023. It brought together eight artists connected with Oujda, Nador, Berkane and Jerada: Said Afezyoum, Siham Badr, Mohamed Benhamza, Imane El Mezgueldi, Jaouad Embarki, El Yazid Kherbache, Sara Laouini and Nourreddine Madrane.

The selection crossed generations and disciplines. Painting, sculpture, photography, design, assemblage and other contemporary approaches were presented together, reflecting the range of artistic production across the Oriental. The exhibition also signalled an intention to give regional artists a formal platform outside the country’s dominant art centres of Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakech.

Visiting a gallery within a working bank headquarters

The gallery is integrated into Banque Populaire’s regional headquarters rather than operating as a separate street-level institution. Access may therefore depend on the building’s reception procedures, banking hours and whether an exhibition is currently installed. Published accounts describe temporary thematic exhibitions open to visitors and bank clients, but no dedicated timetable, ticketing system or permanent public opening hours could be confirmed.

Visitors should contact Banque Populaire d’Oujda before travelling. No telephone number or email address specifically assigned to the gallery has been verified.

Corporate cultural support in Oujda

The gallery adds a private-sector model to Oujda’s cultural landscape, alongside municipal exhibition spaces, heritage buildings, associations and public arts institutions. Its long-term relevance will depend on the continuity of its programme, the range of artists it supports and its ability to welcome audiences beyond the bank’s immediate clients.

No sufficiently documented recent programme was found after the inaugural exhibition. The venue can therefore be described with confidence as an established gallery space, but not as one currently operating a regularly published exhibition season.

Continue exploring Oujda through Galerie d’Art Moulay El Hassan, Palais Dar Sebti, other cultural places in Oujda and the city’s current cultural agenda.