Trankat Street

The idea for the space was conceived two years ago when Moroccan Younès Rahmoun and French Bérénice Saliou discovered that the city of Tétouan was not being used to its full artistic potential. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tétouan is often overshadowed by the attractions of Marrakech and Tangier, according to the founders. 'To give the area the attention it deserves, we decided to make it a base for our project. The medina has remained completely authentic and while wandering through its narrow lanes, we can genuinely feel the history of the city. Being part of such an environment gives artists a chance to get new perspectives and sources of inspiration,' says Saliou, the artistic director of Trankat Street. Currently, the space is hosting an artists' residency, which the founders say is the first of its kind in the city. The initiative offers three international artists a place to stay for three months in order to immerse themselves in the city's culture and to work with local craftsmen. 'This allows them to engage with the local community and create contemporary artworks that are inspired by Moroccan traditions,' explains the French artistic director. The current artist-in-residence is French-born artist Fouad Bouchoucha. Entitled Master of Slaves, his installation is inspired by the Moroccan zellige and explores the boundaries between industrial and artisanal production. The end result will be showcased as part of an exhibition at the Marrakech Biennale in 2014. Additionally, Trankat Street has plans to organise two exhibitions annually, focused on the artworks produced during the residency as well as those by Moroccan artists. The education programme, which is in collaboration with Morocco's National Institute of Fine Art, National School of Architecture and Dar Sanaa, allows students to mingle with international artists through workshops and seminars. According to Saliou, 'The education programme is also a way to engage with the local context, to discover the situation of artistic education in Morocco and to engage in depth with the local population and aspiring artists.'