Casablanca, a port-city with a unique and multifaceted character, is presented at the Benaki Museum of Islamic Art through the photographs of Melita Vangelatou. The exhibition opened yesterday, Wednesday, 13 November 2019.
The exhibition will be open until the 1st of March 2020.
The exhibition is divided into two basic sections. The first focuses on the neighbourhoods of the city in which the photographs expose a traditional way of life and offers a mosaic made up of images of customs, pursuits and daily activities that have remained unchanged over time. The inhabitants, who, since the beginning of the 20th century have started moving to the city from the countryside, maintain the customs and practices of their villages. Consequently, the photographs reveal habits such as visiting the hammam, baking bread in local bakeries, drying clothes in the streets, meeting friends outdoors, as well as the frequent presence of street vendors showing the vibrant and dynamic popular culture of Casablanca.
The second section of the exhibition creates an architectural portrait of the city through the display of different aspects of Casablanca, featuring the oldlabyrinthine district and shantytowns, areas of the fishing port and shipyard, significant buildings from the time of the French protectorate and finally the style of contemporary architecture that shows the modern face of the city.
Melita Vangelatou unveils the character of Casablanca emphasising the bustling and full of vim and vigour traditional way of life of this enchanting city.
Melita Vangelatou, born and raised in Alexandria, has lived and travelled in many different countries from which she draws her inspiration. Her photographs have been exhibited in Greece and Morocco and are often exhibited through Casamemoire, an association for the preservation of Casablanca’s heritage. She was the principal photographer in preparing the documents to be presented to UNESCO for the inclusion of the city’s 20th-century architecture among its World Heritage Sites.
Free of charge guided tours will be carry out the following dates:
Saturday 23/11, 30/11, 28/12, 11/1, 25/1 at 12.00 by MelitaVangelatou
Saturday 14/12, 15/2, 29/2 at 12.00 by Greta Vassiliou
Please contact: 210 3251 314, Monday – Thursday, 10:00 – 15:00.