The 6th Marrakech Biennale has begun and the parallel project MB6 Street Art is in full effect as well – with an international collection of 10 artists painting murals at street level and on roofs inside the “Red City” or Medina of Marrakech.

One of the core principals of the biennale is to be sensitive to the local context, and organizers for MB6 have taken that guidance to heart in these old and often conservative neighborhoods by curating artists whose work in abstract, geometric, and decorative forms can endure a while under the intense sun. Particular sensitivity has been taken into consideration in this sort of magical fortified city where time seems to have slowed or even stopped in many ways. The approach is appropriate for the theme of this years biennale “Not New Now”.

Lucy Mclauchlan at work on her wall in The Medina. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Many inquisitive passersby in this bustling, chaotic/serene street scene will stand by and observe for long periods of time to discuss the evolving artworks and question others about the significance of a particular feature. Whether you speak Arabic, French, or Tamazight these new murals are providing a lot to talk about and many appear to relish the discussion.

We’ll be bringing you more details later but thought you’d like a few images of walls in progress, today with Birmingham’s Lucy McLauchlan, Moscow’s Alexey Luka, and Marrkesh’s own Kalamour.

Alexey Luka at work on his wall in The Medina. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Additionally we are pleased to announce our new partnership with Urban Nation (UN) in Berlin to discover and bring new Street/Urban Art from around the world to you.

Of course our very first collaboration with UN was the successful and enriching cultural exchange between Brooklyn and Berlin last year for for Project M/7 when we curated a show with 12 Street Artists in Berlin entitle “Persons of Interest”.

The nascent museum is emerging before our eyes with ever deeper ties to the global/local urban art communities and artists.  We’ll be making more announcements regarding our collaborations in the near future.

Kalamour at work on his wall in The Medina. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

MB6 Street Art at the Marrakech Biennale is BSA in Partnership with Urban Nation (UN)

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A special shout out to photographer Ian Cox for showing us how to get around the market and the souks on our first day!  We’d still be stuck in there right now without his help. Follow him @wallkandy on Instagram