The Musée d’Art Contemporain Africain Al Maaden in Marrakech: a case study in collecting and place-making

Abstract

ABSTRACT This case study examines the Musée d’Art Contemporain Africain Al Maaden (MACAAL), a private museum in Marrakech, Morocco, within the cultural, political and economic contexts of private philanthropy. It analyses the development of the collection of the owners of the museum within the specific context of support for the arts in the Muslim kingdom in North Africa and examines the function of the private museum which opened in 2018. In order to answer the question of the motivations for the foundation of the museum, the article describes the transition from a more traditional model of philanthropy and patronage to a new entrepreneurial model of giving in line with a generational shift in the management of the collection and opens up some possible explanations for this shift. The complex relationship between the State and the collecting family that touches not only on cultural but also political and economic domains is explored. Furthermore, a shift of alignment from the MENASA region to a Pan African context in line with state policy is discussed. This serves to situate the private museum within a broader context and to make a contribution to the study of private patronage and museums in emerging economies.