Meriem Berrada is the artistic director at the Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (MACAAL) in Marrakesh, Morocco. Since 2012, she has also been head of cultural projects at the Fondation Alliances in Casablanca, an organisation that supports cultural development in Morocco, which is how she came to play a key role in the museum’s opening in 2016.
Berrada trained in management and communication in Paris and has steered the institution since it first opened to the public six years ago, during which time she has adopted international practices and implemented innovative ways to engage local audiences. For example, on Friday evenings, the museum cooks traditional couscous dishes for the local community.
MACAAL, an independent, non-profit museum of contemporary art, is one of the first of its kind on the continent. Its mission is to promote African art through a variety of educational programs and exhibitions, through which it hopes to reach a wide audience. By acquiring and exhibiting works by both established and emerging artists, the museum promotes an understanding of contemporary African art. Part of its purpose is to showcase the creative energy and cultural diversity that is characteristic of the continent.
The museum is working to develop structures for artists in Africa and to help it achieve this goal Berrada launched the MACAAL Bootcamp in 2019. This is a training programme for visual arts workers across the continent. She also pioneered the La Chambre Claire programme, which is a competition for emerging African photographers, and Passerelles, created to foster local youth engagement with visual art.
Her previous work experience includes time working with MnA communication Paris, a cultural communication agency working for clients from fashion, antiquity and contemporary art. She also worked as a member of the Marrakesh Art Fair team, which is behind the first contemporary art fair in Morocco.