Materiae Palimpseste. Pavilion of MOROCCO
19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia
Commissioner: Mohammed Benyaacoub
Curator/Exhibitor: Khalil Morad El Ghilali, El Mehdi Belyasmin
Materiae Palimpsest is a manifesto that aspires to ignite thoughts and interrogations about the potential future(s) of traditional Moroccan know-how. This pavilion could be assimilated to a glossary or an inventory of past construction techniques and local materials, and, through its multi-scalar approach, it aims to inspire future generations to [re]think, [re]use, [re]adapt them.
This installation is presented as an immersive experience that invites visitors on a sensory stroll through the diversity of Moroccan landscapes. Articulated into 72 square columns with a 50x50cm base, whose height varies to evoke the different altitudes of the reliefs of Morocco, it creates a unique architectural topography. These vertical elements guide visitors through a space where each block is made of distinct materials, illustrating the diversity of resources, know-how and local construction cultures. The diversity of textures, colours and techniques of each column transports the visitor on a tactile, visual and sonic journey to discover Moroccan constructive culture. Materiae Palimpsest is a journey through the processes of doing: fragmenting the processes means understanding them better and ultimately being able to reinvent them, to direct them to better future(s).
