Marocco Mall is a long-term photographic project  started in 2014 during a trip to the Maghreb, driven by the curiosity to know the new life of an old classmate of mine returned to live with his family.

The direct and unfiltered impact with Moroccan society allowed me to develop a critical point of view towards the country right from the start.

 

The economic and social situation of Morocco is constantly on the move; one of the most interesting data is that about 60% of the population resides in urban centres which are becoming increasingly large thanks for the masses; while rural areas are less and less attractive, especially for the young generations.

 

Mohammed Vi has turned his attention to the development of cities, to the fight against poverty and to make the country attractive to foreign investors by liberalising the economy; he has also been credited with many achievements, particularly infrastructure mega projects such as highways, high-speed rail, ports, renewable energy and urban development.

 

The overall picture for a less careful eye is that of a stable, modern and far-sighted country.

Digging a little deeper the reality is quite different: the lack of a good education and a health care accessible to all is a distant reality. What is growing is instead the gap between rich and poor and social uprising due to the lack of freedom of expression.

 

Inspired by Pasolini´s famous “Scritti Corsari”, i started to reflect on the possible consequences of what may be called “modernisation wave”; I have deepened the effects from a cultural identity point of view and i kept asking myself whether or not the historical and cultural traditions of the country will be compromised.

The purpose of this work is to open a dialogue on the reading model of the country that I offer to all those interested in going beyond the facade.

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