MARRAKECH.- The first edition of the Marrakech Art Fair will be held from October 9 to 11, 2010 (with a preview on October 8) at the Es Saadi Palace.

Galleries from Europe, Morocco and the Arab world are pleased to invite art amateurs and collectors to present their recent discoveries during a four-day event. Modern art, contemporary art, and emerging scenes will be high on the agenda, during an ephemeral leisure staged between patio and garden through art works and creations from the 20th and 21st centuries.

Visitors will be given the opportunity to walk through the fair either to look for novelties or just to rediscover the works by internationally-renowned artists such as: Karel Appel, Arman, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Brassaï, Eduardo Chillida, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Robert Doisneau, Jean Dubuffet, Max Ernst, Erro, Jan Fabre, Philippe Favier, Sam Francis, Gérard Garouste, Raymond Hains, Simon Hantaï, Keith Haring, Hans Hartung, Rebecca Horn, Yves Klein, David Lachapelle, François-Xavier Lalanne, Richard Long, Man Ray, Roberto Matta, Mario Merz, François Morellet, Aurélie Nemours, Erwin Olaf, Giuseppe Penone, Robert Rauschenberg, Martial Raysse, James Rosenquist, Georges Rousse, Niki de Saint Phalle, Julian Schnabel, Richard Serra, Pierre Soulages, Daniel Spoerri, Nicolas de Staël, Frank Stella, Patrick Tosani, Vladimir Velickovic, Jacques Villeglé, Andy Warhol, Tom Wesselmann…

A series of cultural and artistic events will take place along with the launch of the Marrakech Art Fair, such as exhibitions in cultural centres, visits of artists’ studios, presentations of private collections and more.

The Marrakech Art Fair has also the «Golf Art Cup» in store, a golf competition between art market players, at the end of which a trophy made by a Moroccan artist will be awarded.

This event was born from the collaboration between Moroccan and French art market players who combine their skills to provide Morocco with an exchange platform for gallerists, artists and collectors.

The setting up of the Marrakech Art Fair is supported by Moroccan institutions: The Ministry of Tourism, The General Administration of Customs, the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT) as well as partners such as the Es Saadi Palace, the ONAPAR Holding through the Amelkis golf club, and Prestigia, a company specializing in business travels and luxury stays in Morocco.

Hicham and Zineb Daoudi, Brahim Alaoui, Caroline Clough Lacoste and Henri Jobbé Duval partnered to implement this totally unprecedented artistic meeting. They enjoy the support of the honour committee, made of people involved with the local and international cultural life … and Marc Blondeau has accepted to be among the fair’s guests.

The Marrakech Art Fair is destined to become the yearly appointment of the art market in the Kingdom of Morocco, enhancing its visibility beyond its borders and being part of the international contemporary art fair calendar.