MACAAL – Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden

### A major African art museum in Marrakech **MACAAL — the Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden** is one of Marrakech’s leading institutions for modern and contemporary art from Africa. Located in the Al Maaden estate east of the city, it is a Fondation Alliances project built around a collection assembled by the Lazraq family over several decades. The holdings include more than **2,000 works** across painting, sculpture, photography, textiles, installation, moving image and digital media. Moroccan artists form an important foundation, but the museum deliberately develops conversations across the continent and its diasporas. MACAAL therefore avoids presenting African art as a single style or identity, emphasising different histories, territories, generations and artistic positions. ### From its first years to the 2025 reopening The institutional project was inaugurated in 2016 and gained broad public visibility with its February **2018** opening during the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair. After several years of temporary exhibitions, MACAAL closed in spring 2023 for a major refurbishment. The September 2023 Al Haouz earthquake also prompted a structural assessment and reinforcement work. The museum reopened on **1 February 2025** in a substantially redesigned form. For the first time, a significant part of the collection received a permanent display, complemented by annual site-specific installations, solo exhibitions in the Artist Room, a specialist library and renewed public spaces. The change gives visitors sustained access to the collection instead of limiting the museum primarily to temporary projects. ### Seven Contours, One Collection The permanent exhibition **Seven Contours, One Collection** presents around 150 works on rotation. Rather than following a strict chronology or dividing artists by nationality, the galleries are organised around active positions: Decolonize, Transcribe, Initiate, Cohabit, Converge, Promise and Weave. A further space, Connect, introduces the longer history of African modern and contemporary art from the independence era onwards. This framework creates discussions around memory, colonial histories, migration, spirituality, ecology, cities, craft knowledge and resistance. Historic figures are shown beside younger practices, while textiles, architecture and artisanal processes are treated as systems of knowledge rather than decorative references. ### Architecture shaped by the riad The original building was designed by French architect **Didier Lefort**. Its distinctive O-shaped plan recalls a Moroccan riad organised around an internal courtyard, allowing an easy flow between galleries, natural light, water and gardens. The ochre brick façade connects the museum to Marrakech’s urban and natural palette without reproducing traditional architecture literally. The refurbishment reorganised approximately **1,000 square metres of exhibition space**, improved museum conditions and strengthened the relationship between the galleries and landscape. The central atrium accommodates monumental and site-specific works, while the Artist Room provides a focused setting for solo and experimental exhibitions. ### Library, café, gardens and sculpture park The visitor experience now extends well beyond the galleries. A connected area beside the **MACAAL Café** and terrace includes a freely accessible reference library dedicated to contemporary African art and a digital resource provided by Morocco’s National Library. The gardens have been redesigned with monumental sculptures and an expanded vegetable garden used in some educational activities. Admission also includes the **Al Maaden Sculpture Park**, extending the visit outdoors. The museum hosts school groups, guided visits, workshops, public discussions, professional gatherings and projects developed with artists and cultural partners. ### Exhibitions and programmes in 2026 MACAAL remains fully active in 2026. Alongside its permanent display, the Artist Room hosts temporary interventions. **Under Destruction** by Ismail Alaoui Fdili runs from 2 May to 2 August 2026 as part of Mai de la Photo, examining urban memory, precarious labour and disappearing spaces. The collective installation **Statues Also Breathe**, presented from 8 February 2026 to 8 January 2027, brings together Catharsis Arts Foundation, Obafemi-Awolowo University and 108 students. The museum also develops tours, talks and creative programmes. **MACAAL Kids**, for children aged seven and above, is announced on Saturdays from 3pm to 5pm. **MACAAL Arts & Crafts** offers an adult workshop one Sunday each month, with registration through the mediation team. ### Opening hours and admission The museum is open **Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm**, and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Reduced Ramadan hours apply and should be checked before travelling. Current official admission rates are: - MAD 120 for adults; - MAD 60 for African residents or nationals, with valid proof; - free admission for children under 12 and students, with proof; - MAD 110 per person for adult groups of more than ten. The ticket covers the museum exhibitions and the Al Maaden Sculpture Park. Guided tours should be booked at reception or through **[email protected]**. MACAAL states that the museum is fully accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. ### Planning the journey MACAAL is located in Al Maaden, in the Sidi Youssef Ben Ali area, away from the medina and Marrakech’s busiest visitor routes. A car or taxi is the most practical option. The museum recommends allowing ten to twenty minutes for a taxi to arrive for the return journey, and the reception team can assist with the booking. Continue a contemporary-art itinerary at the [Montresso* Art Foundation](/en/institutions/fondation-montresso-art), the [Les Étoiles de Jamaa El Fna Cultural Centre](/en/institutions/les-etoiles-jamaa-el-fna-marrakech), the [Institut Français de Marrakech](/en/institutions/ifm-marrakech) and the [current Marrakech programme](/en/explore?city=Marrakech).