Casablanca has launched its first edition of Open Portfolio, a new event dedicated to contemporary graphic arts that promises to bring fresh energy to the city’s cultural scene. Kicking off on Friday, the week-long program runs through July 13 and aims to make graphic art more visible and accessible to the public.
Visitors at the opening were treated to a striking live demonstration by Chinese artist Wei Youhang, who performed a woodcut engraving in front of an engaged crowd. His interactive performance set the tone for a week centered on creativity, dialogue, and artistic exploration.
Sixteen emerging artists from Africa, Europe, and Asia are presenting their work in various venues across the city. Developed in collaboration with Open Portfolio Bilbao, the initiative is designed not only to expand access to printmaking but also to integrate it into the rhythm of urban life.
Younes Bahhar, operations director for Casa Events and Animation, sees the event as part of a larger strategy to elevate Casablanca’s cultural offerings and position it as a global arts hub. For him, the dual goal is clear: to promote young artists and raise the city’s profile internationally.
Another major component of the event is education. Art critic Abdellah Cheikh, speaking at the launch, highlighted the importance of intergenerational exchange in preserving and reimagining traditional practices like engraving. He praised the event for creating a platform where artistic knowledge can be passed on, renewed, and celebrated.
At its core, Open Portfolio is about giving voice to the diverse traditions within printmaking—whether it’s drypoint, woodcut, or aquatint—and encouraging a broader audience to engage with these techniques. The event’s organizers want to show that these age-old methods are not just museum artifacts, but vibrant, evolving forms of expression.
The week ahead features a full schedule of exhibitions, panel discussions, hands-on workshops, and roundtables. Open to all ages, the programming invites artists, educators, and critics to reflect together on the role of printed images today, in a space that welcomes crossover with other artistic disciplines.
