Artistic Direction & Calls for Projects

Artistic Direction & Partnerships

Direction artistique et appels à projets Face à la mer

Artistic direction encompasses the curatorial vision, the selection of artists, and the overall conception of exhibitions and residencies.

Partnerships strengthen the practical support provided to creators from the very inception of their projects, through the establishment of residencies and the showcasing of the unique perspectives of young photographers from the Mediterranean region.

ENCOURAGING THE EXCHANGE OF GAZES

Founded in Tangier by Mina Mostefa and Wilfrid Estève, the Rencontres Photo de Tanger event has established itself since 2019 as a major hub for contemporary and documentary photography in the Mediterranean region.

Its activities are built upon three key pillars:

• a trans-Mediterranean bridge: the project is conceived as a fluid, fraternal link connecting the two shores of the Mediterranean. The goal is to transcend geopolitical and cultural divides, fostering the exchange of perspectives, narratives, and sensibilities.

• a springboard for independent creators: Tthe Photo Tangier Meetings actively combat the isolation of artists by promoting the mobility of their work, providing support for both emerging and established photographers, and facilitating connections with international institutional and publishing partners.

• the exploration of bold visual storytelling: moving beyond conventional formalism, the program highlights new forms of photographic expression, hybrid approaches (mixed media, experimental analog techniques, dialogue with architecture or video), and socially engaged subjects—all without taboos or sensationalism.

ROLLING OUT OUR CURATORIAL APPROACH

As the artistic director of the Tangier Photo Meetings and an exhibition curator (notably for the JIL-LIOUM project), Mina Mostefa also works to implement a precise curatorial methodology that is deeply rooted in contemporary realities.

Several key areas are being developed:

Documenting Moroccan youth “from within”

The curatorial approach rejects any external or condescending interpretive frameworks, deliberately breaking away from exoticizing stereotypes. It entrusts the visual storytelling to young photographers who document their own generation with candor, intimacy, and cultural legitimacy.

The aim is to select complementary artistic sensibilities from across Morocco to create a complex mosaic and establish a genuine territorial and social polyphony.

An ethical commitment following in the footsteps of Leila Alaoui and Yzza Slaoui

Through collaborations with the Yzza Slaoui Foundation and the Leila Alaoui Intercultural Center (CILA), this curatorial project aligns with a legacy in which the camera serves as an instrument of dignity, transmission, and collective memory.

To capture societal shifts firsthand, the selected series reflect the productive tensions of a rapidly changing Morocco—one constantly balancing an attachment to tradition with the pursuit of contemporary horizons.

Traveling exhibition and cultural democratization

By breaking down the boundaries of conventional spaces, the traveling exhibition – circulating throughout the network of French Institutes in Morocco – demonstrates a curatorial desire to take contemporary art beyond exclusive circles and foster a direct dialogue with a young, urban, and broad-based audience.

“JIL-LIOUM” COLLECTIVE PROJECT

Dates: September 24, 2025 to July 31, 2026

“Jil Lioum – Youth in Motion” is a collective photography project that gives a visual voice to Moroccan youth.

Spearheaded by Face à la mer (FALM), in collaboration with the Institut Français du Maroc and with the support of the Fondation Yzza Slaoui (FZS) and the Centre Interculturel Leila Alaoui (CILA), the project brings together six young photographers whose perspectives intersect, complement one another, and sometimes clash.

Through photographs taken in Casablanca, Oujda, Tangier, Salé, and Marrakech, JIL-LIOUM explores the many facets of a youth in motion: rooted in its local environment yet open to the world, faithful to its heritage while charting new horizons.

The featured series address key themes such as identity, social engagement, place, and creativity. They serve as a mirror for a generation telling its own story with sincerity, and as a bridge across the Mediterranean, facilitating the exchange of ideas, stories, and emotions.

Mourad Fedouache
(Sidi Yiab Gharb)

Rime Sabbar
(Tanger)

Oussama Sbaa
(Oujda)

Yassine Sellame
(Marrakech
Casablanca)

Youness Sefyaoui
(Safi)

Nizar Laajali
(Salé – Rabat)

ORPHEUS’S EYE · PHOTO CREATION RESIDENCY FOR YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHERS

First edition: August 17–22, 2026

The “L’œil d’Orphée” (Orpheus’s Eye) photography residency is a six-day artistic mentorship and creative program designed for emerging photographers. It is hosted at the CMEF (Centre Méditerranéen d’Études Françaises) in Cap-d’Ail, in partnership with the Cité Club Universitaire, Transmission Photo, Hans Lucas, and the Tangier Photo Meetings.

The goal of this residency is to create a photographic project inspired by the poetry of Cocteau, as well as by Mediterranean myths and light.

The inaugural edition took place from August 17 to 22, 2026, under the theme: Photographic Poetry & the Mediterranean – a dialogue with the work and inspiration of Jean Cocteau.

Ten photographers aged 20 to 35 were selected for this first edition:

Fiona Forte – Mona Favoreu – Najwa B Naim – Marie Meister – Lucy Whiteley – Éloi Ficat – Leo Louis Woo – Chloé Khoury – Sara Bensaltana – Julia Lê

The grant includes mentorship, accommodation, and full-board meals for the selected recipients.

FALM/INSTITUT FRANÇAIS DE TANGER EXHIBITION

Dates: July 14 to October 30, 2022

Together with the Institut Français de Tanger, the Face à la mer team sought to showcase and support unconventional projects, new forms of photographic expression, and bold formats by presenting an exhibition featuring five photographers on the railings of the French Consulate General: