{"id":12339,"date":"2026-02-04T13:10:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T12:10:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/?p=12339"},"modified":"2026-02-12T14:29:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T13:29:17","slug":"artwareness-when-art-bodies-and-stories-come-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/artwareness-when-art-bodies-and-stories-come-together\/","title":{"rendered":"A(RT)wareness. When Art, Bodies and Stories Come Together"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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(ART)wareness, an Exhibition That Shapes Awareness, Literally<\/h2>

As part of \u2018\u2019What\u2019s on\u2019\u2019, the Off program of the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair<\/a> in Marrakesh, C\u00e9line and I are hosting the A(RT)wareness exhibition in my studio, above the V.Barkowski store in Dar El Bacha. From 4 to 10 February 2026, the space will present a series of plaster TORSOS of Moroccan women \u2013 but not only \u2013 moulded in Marrakesh and later transformed by 18 artists living in Morocco and one guest artist: Barth\u00e9l\u00e9my Toguo. <\/p>

Where Awareness Begins<\/h2>

The project was initiated in collaboration with the Keep A Breast foundation, which has been committed to breast cancer prevention and awareness for over twenty years. Through art and education, and especially via the moulding of torsos, the foundation leads programmes aimed at young people. <\/p>

It All Started in Marrakech, at 1-54<\/h2>

This edition in Marrakech began with a conversation between C\u00e9line, who works with me, and Maritxu, the foundation\u2019s ambassador in France, during the 1-54 art fair two years ago. Following that meeting, we offered Dar Kawa as a venue for a moulding workshop, should the foundation decide to launch an initiative in Morocco. A few months later, it became a reality. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Bath\u00e9l\u00e9my Toguo - JF Fourtou - Delphine Warin photo<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A shared process of creation<\/h2>

Over several days, women, and one man, came to have their torsos moulded. Some were discreet, others more outspoken, Moroccan or simply connected to the country in one way or another. All volunteered. <\/p>

The TORSOS were then handed over to a group of Moroccan or Morocco-based artists who were given complete freedom to create. C\u00e9line coordinated the entire process locally, from the first contact with the artists to the delivery of the works, maintaining the link between them and the foundation. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u00a9 Delphine Warin<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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From Moulding to Exhibition, and Everything in Between<\/h2>

Today, the pieces are ready and brought together in this exhibition. <\/p>

The participating artists are Yasmina Alaoui, Mahi Binebine, Margaux Derhy,
Khadija El Abyad, Safae El Kadi, Rajae El Mouhandiz, Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Fourtou,
Yasmine Hadni, Yacout Hammdouch, Soumya Jalal, Sophia Kacimi, Naja Mehadji, Mohamed Mourabiti, Barth\u00e9l\u00e9my Toguo, Samy Snoussi, Amia Tafaouik Binebine, Delphine Warin and Othman Zine.<\/p>

I am also very pleased to have participated in this creative phase, by embellishing the cast of my atelier director: Fatima Srane. It was a truly intimate and inspiring experience.<\/p>

A photographic series by Delphine Warin accompanies the exhibition, documenting key moments of the process, including the moulding sessions.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Val\u00e9rie Barkowski - Yasmina Alaoui - Delphine Warin photo<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Art as a Bridge, Between Expression and Commitment<\/h2>

This project connects women, artists, and the foundation. It merges awareness, artistic expression, and collective engagement. Keep A Breast also uses the torsos as a tool for communication and, where needed, fundraising. <\/p>

Why This Project Matters to Me <\/h3>

This dual purpose, both artistic and socially committed, is what gives the project its full meaning. It creates links. Between women, bodies, and personal paths. A way to act, in a simple and tangible manner.

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A(RT)wareness is organised in collaboration with Keep A Breast, with the support of the “Fonds de dotation de La Petite Escal\u00e8re”.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(ART)wareness, an Exhibition That Shapes Awareness, Literally As part of \u2018\u2019What\u2019s on\u2019\u2019, the Off program of the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in Marrakesh, C\u00e9line and I are hosting the A(RT)wareness exhibition in my studio, above the V.Barkowski store in Dar El Bacha. From 4 to 10 February 2026, the space will present a series …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12327,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[231],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marrakech-whispers"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/art-wareness-exposition-multiples-engagements-banner.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12339"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12341,"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12339\/revisions\/12341"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12327"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.valeriebarkowski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}