Vive la mariée !

To explore this pivotal moment in the Maghreb that is marriage, discover a selection of costumes and adornments set in dialogue with the works of 27 contemporary artists from the Maghreb and its diasporas, who offer their perspectives on this important moment in social and intimate life.

Marriage is a pivotal moment in the intimate and social life of women and men around the world. In the Maghreb, this event is celebrated with great pomp, as an occasion to build community by gathering around a shared joy. One of the words used for marriage is farah, meaning 'joy' in Arabic.

The exhibition, presented at the Arab World Institute, is organized around patrimonial works and features a selection of about forty costumes and adornments never before shown in France, drawn from Moroccan, Algerian, and Tunisian collections. These pieces, dating from the 19th to the 20th century, celebrate the bride and the women who surround her while highlighting national and regional particularities, the richness of heritages and shared practices, notably between Muslims and Jews. The evolution of dress, the persistence and specificity of rituals, the symbolism and the practical, protective aspects are all among the topics explored.

Putting at the heart of the discourse the bride but also the role of women during these celebrations—from assembling the trousseau, to the making of the pieces, and even accompanying the bride—the exhibition also seeks to confront these patrimonial works with the perspectives of artists and thus to illuminate continuities or contemporary societal evolutions.

To capture the essence of these celebrations in all their diversity, the exhibition, in dialogue with these rare collections, gives a voice to twenty-seven contemporary artists, primarily women, originating from Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and their diasporas, who bring their gaze to this important moment in social and intimate life, and trace the codified steps of marriage to help understand what these ritual celebrations say today about the societies that practice them.

The exhibition Vive la mariée!, organized as part of the Mediterranean Season implemented by the French Institute, explores marriage as a social ritual in constant evolution. Some artists celebrate the traditions, the moments of collective joy that these celebrations enable, and question the heritage of these traditions and their survivals. Others place certain marriage practices in perspective with the societies that practice them and the ideologies they convey.

Blending patrimonial objects, artistic creations, archives and an immersive scenography to highlight the material and immaterial dimensions (dance, music, costumes, food...) of this cultural heritage, the exhibition is accompanied by a cultural program and mediation activities, inaugurated by a parade under the artistic direction of Mohamed Bourouissa, the festive procession 'Tell Me Your Wedding'.

The artists on display:
- Maïssane Alibrahimi
- Héla Ammar
- Daoud Aoulad-Syad
- Ismaël Bazri
- Souhila Bel Bahar
- Valérie Belin
- Sabrina Belouaar
- Carolle Bénitah
- Jean Besancenot
- Meriem Bouderbala
- Kenza Bousseloub
- Dora Dalila Cheffi
- Abdel Djalel Chib
- Margaux Derhy
- Khadija El Abyad
- Ymane Fakhir
- Djamel Farès
- Fatna Gbouri
- Abdelaziz Gorgi
- Farida Hamak
- Yves Jeanmougin
- Sophia Kacimi
- Mouna Karray
- Fela Kefi Leroux
- Ghalia Kriaa
- Amira Lamti
- Lazhar Mansouri
- Yasmina Ouahid
- Sara Ouhaddou
- Shourouk Rhaiem
- Ghizlane Sahli
- Ridha Zili