‘African art is not a fleeting trend’: Moroccan museum to celebrate rich creativity of continent’s artists

The museum has eight rooms, of which seven are dedicated to the permanent collection. Photograph: Ayoub El Bardii/Courtesy of Macaal

For more than four decades, the Lazraq family in Morocco has been amassing an extraordinary collection of modern and contemporary African art. One of the most comprehensive private holdings on the continent, it has mostly remained unseen, tucked away in vaults. But from next month, the collection will have a new permanent presence at the Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (Macaal) in Marrakech.

The revamped museum, founded by Othman Lazraq, the son of the real estate tycoon Alami Lazraq, has shifted towards a semi-permanent exhibition format, hosting 150 works on rotation from the 2,500-strong collection.