Musée d’Art Contemporain Africain Al Maaden (MACAAL) review: our verdict
Contemporary art from the continent has its address in Marrakech, and it is found at the end of the Royal Golf Road. MACAAL, an independent and non-profit museum, showcases it in a luminous building by architect Didier Lefort, constructed with local materials. The permanent collection, focused on Moroccan and African artists, dialogues with temporary exhibitions open to the international scene.
The visit gains much from the on-site team, who gladly tell the stories of the artists and the meaning of the works, so much so that children are as captivated as parents. Count on an hour and a half, then a tour of the garden, a café for tea and Moroccan pastries, and the boutique of continental designers. For art lovers as well as a curious family; not for an express visit between two souks, the museum is far from the centre.
The good slot: 10 a.m., at opening, to have the halls almost to yourself. The trap: coming on a Monday or Tuesday, days of closure, or without having planned a car or taxi to reach Al Maaden.
