In Morocco, young artists confront climate anxieties through paint, pixels, and perspective.Casablanca, Morocco — In a country grappling with rapid urbanization, rising temperatures, and the long shadow of water scarcity, four young Moroccan artists have just been given a national stage—and a profound question: What does a sustainable city look like?
That’s the challenge the Attijariwafa Bank Foundation posed through the second edition of its national visual arts competition, “ImagineTaVille.” This year’s theme—focused on climate and environmental issues—drew an outpouring of creativity. More than 327 submissions poured in from every corner of the Kingdom, spanning disciplines from photography and video art to sculpture and experimental installations.
Now, after months of review, the Foundation has unveiled the four winners of its 2025 edition. Their works, selected for both aesthetic merit and ecological urgency, will be unveiled in a public exhibition this fall at Espace d’art Actua in Casablanca.
A Jury That Bridges Canvas and Corporate Citizenship
The panel responsible for the final selection was itself a portrait of artistic and civic commitment. It included Abla Ababou, a gallerist renowned for her championing of emerging talent; Zine El Abidine El Amine, a visual artist and educator; Mohamed Rachdi, an academic and art critic; and Mehdi Guedira, who leads the CSR strategy at Attijariwafa Bank.
Their criteria went beyond technique. “We looked for works that didn’t just depict environmental challenges, but that provoked, imagined, and disrupted,” one jury member noted. “Art is not just a mirror—it can be a megaphone, or even a manifesto.”
Among the submissions were haunting photographs of dried riverbeds, digital animations of flooded medinas, and mixed-media pieces fusing plastic waste with traditional Moroccan motifs. The range of interpretations confirmed one thing: Moroccan youth are not just watching the climate crisis unfold—they are reimagining how to live through it.
More Than a Prize, a Launchpad
While each of the four winners will receive a monetary grant, the true prize lies in the infrastructure of support the Foundation has built around the competition. Winners are granted:
* A two-month solo and group exhibition in one of Casablanca’s most respected art spaces
* A tailored mentorship program, offering curatorial guidance, legal support, and introductions to collectors and art institutions
* National visibility, as their work becomes part of a growing dialogue between Moroccan society and its artists
“‘ImagineTaVille’ is not just about showcasing talent,” said a Foundation spokesperson. “It’s about planting seeds—for artistic careers, yes, but also for new ways of thinking about our urban future.”
Culture as a Vector of Sustainability
The contest is part of the Foundation’s broader cultural strategy, which intersects education, environmental stewardship, and citizen engagement. As Morocco positions itself as a regional leader in green energy and sustainable development, the Foundation’s initiative sends a clear message: climate discourse does not belong solely to scientists or policymakers. It also belongs to artists.
In a country where climate change has begun to reshape everything from agriculture to architecture, the act of “imagining” the city becomes more than an artistic exercise—it becomes an act of resilience.
The Exhibition to Come
In addition to the four prizewinning pieces, the jury also selected 12 “Coup de Cœur” works to be featured in the fall exhibition. Spanning genres and geographies, these works will offer audiences a compelling portrait of a generation wrestling with the contradictions of beauty and breakdown.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of public programs, including school visits, artist talks, and panel discussions on art and ecology. It is expected to draw students, curators, architects, and urban planners alike.
A Nation at the Crossroads of Art and Urgency
As Morocco contends with its environmental crossroads, initiatives like “ImagineTaVille” reveal the soft power of cultural infrastructure: its ability to amplify youth voices, deepen public imagination, and propose visions that escape the binaries of crisis and denial.
In these canvases, projections, and installations, the next Moroccan city is already taking shape—not in blueprints, but in brushstrokes.
And in the hands of its artists, the future doesn’t just feel possible. It feels personal.
