When it debuted in 2011, news outlets breathlessly reviewed the exhibit, but inaccurately described the subject as ‘Moroccan motorcycle girl gangs!’ The truth according to Hajjaj is more prosaic: “Most of the bikes [in the photos] are their own bikes, Marrakech is really a bike city, everybody rides them – young kids, men, women. It’s a feast for the eyes, you’ll see a woman riding with a sheep behind her and her husband behind that, or 2 guys with a big sheet of glass between them. An inspiration for me was Kerima, a 3rd generation henna painter in the main square, who rides her bike back and forth to work every day. She speaks 4 or 5 languages, works 8-10 hours a day, raises two kids, and built her own house.”
Hajjaj riffs on multiple layers of Moroccan culture, from traditional African portrait studios (such as Malick Sidibe and Jean Depara) to Pop art use of soda cans and extensive appropriation of designer logos on definitely non-designer clothing. His mashup of bad-girl attitude with luxury-branding on their veils and djeballah (head-to-toe coverings) certainly pokes fun at stereotypes of Islamic women, as well as the current trend of women riders self-promoting on Instagram. What does it take for a girl to be cool? In Marrakech, just as in LA, it’s all about a motorcycle.
The trailer for ‘Karima – A Day on the Life of a Henna Girl’
Fun stuff…look like motorcycle trading cards.
My girlfriend is Moroccan – in fact she’s in Casablanca as I type, and this makes me chuckle with showing off of the legs and the bikes; it’s quite the social statement
At first glimpse the lady in the yellow shades looked like Lily Tomlin goofing on a bike. Must have been that perfectly placed red dot. Original, intriguing, and there’s a motorcycle there too. I’d say it fits the space. Let’s have 8 more years.
To quote
“It’s a feast for the eyes, you’ll see a woman riding with a sheep behind her and her husband behind that” That’s what we call a Welsh threesome
Or” 2 guys with a big sheet of glass between them.” Obviously a Valentines reference, but can’t comment as it’s politically incorrect.
Also Muslim women will never wear a veil and show their legs, and as for having a driving license you’re having a laugh!
Ha! You’ve got a very good point there regarding women’s driving licenses in some countries, like Saudi Arabia, but that’s no problem in Morocco…
I was never certain whether all this is for real or some sort of conceptual art.
Nice! We all have preconceptions about people and places we don’t know… this one delivers a wink or a bitch-slap, depends on how you take it. Great post, thanks Paul!
Thanks for putting an effort to publish this information and for sharing this with us.
Cathy
http://www.gofastek.com
“Also Muslim women will never wear a veil and show their legs,”
Yeah, or maybe you just need to meet more Muslim women.
“…as well as the current trend of women riders self-promoting on Instagram, simply because they ride.”
What’s wrong with that?! Men have been ‘self promoting’ themselves and their bikes for as long as they’ve been in existence. Why shouldn’t we do the same? We’re just as proud of our motorcycles and our skills.
Touché!