Oussama Sbaa

Palestinian artist Rasha Nahas from the archive (2022)

Qisariat is a project that examines how spaces evolve in response to change, exploring the impact of political decisions on urban landscapes and the effects of closed borders on communities, the need to reclaim them and to revive them through art and while uncovering their underlying histories. After documenting these spaces i went back and put photos of each qisaria in another, exploring the idea of creating portals and pathways, linking them together through art. poster design by @timaelkhammas who’s helped me in so many ways in making this short term project.

After a lengthy dispute over the ownership rights of one of Oujda’s oldest souks, Souk El-Felah (the farmer’s souk) has been partially destroyed, the land that didn’t fully belong to the shopkeepers has been reclaimed and the people evicted are tearing down what they built to salvage scrap metal. One of the many victims of the economic standstill Oujda has experienced since the official closing of the border with Algeria.

Decorations on an old tailor shop’s walls.

standing in sunlight.

Finally with immense joy, gratitude and lightness we can announce the result of months of uncertainties, creative effort, group collaborations, belief and passion. Uncertainty because it’s not everyday young emerging artists - Hiba, Kamal, Mohamed, Oussama, Atik, Youssef (me) - are given the opportunity to create freely in a privileged space, put into structure their vision and have it seen, heard, accepted and funded. It’s not everyday that institutions decide to invest on names that haven’t existed yet on the big market of the arts. Not everyday, but today, there are people in these institutions, in the whole network that push upward, assist, mentor and believe. That’s why belief, belief in Moroccan youth curation. The one that starts in instagram. virtual exhibitions, projects, series, topics we bring, scenographies we all are starting and pursuing in instagram. And now it’s time for it to get out there in the palpable world. For them to be celebrated in the time they need to. Not restrospectively. Not an end goal in itself but a tendency we may need to start. More attempt-exhibitions from emerging local artists, may bring us more than the same names rolling over the same institutions with the same themes, visions, saturating the creative scene with recycling, upcyling, talking talking talking and where is the gut feeling. There’s no revolution, just a research for a lost movement. Movement of creative communities updating their craft, evolving from topic to topic, from concerns to concerns and relatable accessible culture. A movement that was never lost just hidden by many veils. Big thanks to @kenzakazouz IFM pertinent guardian angel, she’s the reason this all exists. @yassir.yyy for his guidance and great cultural mediation and scenography mentoring My incredible designers friends help : @kabirahachimi @iae_eouaoaii @possiblyyasr @pics_by_asmae @doudatl9ez And you five artists ! Your collaborative energy, your trust in me, the shocking resonation of our works beyond our diverse cities, styles and personnalities. Your investement and talent. For the artistical and intellectual stuff, not in this caption. See you there ! Poster by @kromaticsstudio (Kamal)

Today i took a bus to the edge of the city and made my way to the fields, i asked farmers for permission to follow the paths that went through them and walked from field to field, i walked by a farmer and asked if i could take pictures of his chickens, he seemed amused and told me i could take any picture i wanted and that after he’d be done washing vegetables he had picked he’d show me his stables, so i took pictures and waited for him patiently as he rinsed his turnips, i followed him and he opened the steel gate that led to a courtyard full of sheep and in the corner two milk cows that seemed intrigued by my presence, i took their photo and thanked the man then went back to walking from field to field. (Day 22)

Sidi Yahia amusement park. (Day 17)

There’s parts of the city that i’ve never walked through, this was my first time walking all the way to lazaret, i went into the local “souiqa” and i’ve never felt as compelled to document a space in my life, i’m not sure when or how but i will turn this fascination into a project someday. (Day 16)

The weekly market was completely empty, the sandstorm filled the space where sellers would usually be with an orange screen so thick you could barely see, there was barely anyone else walking the empty market, the only things that remained were the power lines and towers, marking and delineating the path in an out of the field. (Day 13)

The drought makes it so that the water reservoirs stay empty, sheep and goat herders use these basins to feed their animals as their full of vegetation from the water that usually accumulates in them. (Day 12)

“Lfrnatchi” is a person in charge of feeding the flames of a hamam’s boiler room, the people that do these jobs for decades get so good at estimating the correct temperature by touching the boiler with a piece of cloth that they no longer use a pressure gauge. (Day 11)