The exhibition “Of Voice and Stone–200 Years of History in the American Legation Building and Morocco”, a cultural event celebrating two centuries of friendship between the United States and Morocco, officially opened Wednesday in Rabat.
Organized by the Cultural Heritage Center of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Rabat, in partnership with the National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco, the exhibition will run until the end of September at the national library before moving to Casablanca.
The American Legation in Tangier, a focal point of the exhibit, features a range of priceless historic items that represent the strategic, economic, and cultural ties between the United States and Morocco.
From a Lego model of the Mars Rover to Jimi Hendrix’s boots to Nawal El Mutawakel’s Olympic gold medal and track shoes, the exhibition testifies of the human relations between the two countries.
“This exhibit tells the story of people-to-people relationships, of how ordinary Moroccans and Americans have accomplished extraordinary achievements together over the past years, decades, and centuries,” US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires David Greene said.
“These achievements have left a permanent mark on our shared culture – in music, science, art, sports, and so many other areas,” he pointed out, adding that the exhibition is free and open to the public from 9 am to 5 pm.
For his part, the director of the national library Mohamed El Ferrane said that this exhibition marks the 200th anniversary of the American legation of Tangier, the first American diplomatic building abroad.
As one of the first two U.S. diplomatic missions to receive Marine Guard detachments, the legation was known in the Tangier medina for the sentries standing at its entrance.
The organization of this exhibition “comes within a special framework,” he said to the media, stressing the prominent place of art and culture in the centuries-old relationship between the two countries.
“Culture and art reflect the deep relationship between the two countries since 1777, which continue to this day,” El Ferrane added.
Also present at the opening of this exhibition, the director of the American Legation, John Davison told MAP that the Legation is “a symbol” of the friendship between the United States and Morocco.
The curator of the exhibition Joseph Angemi told MAP that the exhibition reflects different exchanges in the fields of culture, music, and arts through a selection of objects belonging to artists who fell in love with Morocco as Frank Zappa or Jimi Hendrix.
It features objects related to personalities who have made history including the athlete Nawal El Moutawakel and Kamal Oudrhiri, Director of projects within NASA.
“Of Voices and Stone–200 Years of History in the American Legation Building and Morocco” also revisits the period of World War II, a “fascinating moment in the history of our countries,” Angemi added, noting that the two countries share “many similarities.”
The opening ceremony was attended by members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Rabat, representatives of various U.S. armed forces, and national cultural actors, including the President of the National Foundation of Museums (FNM), Mehdi Qotbi.
Throughout the year, the U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Rabat is celebrating U.S.-Moroccan friendship through a series of events, both virtual and in-person, demonstrating the strong ties between the two countries.
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