A powerful image, titled "Parabomobile," captures a unique living sculpture by Hiba Baddou, an artist with a fascinating story. It depicts a man riding a Peugeot 103 motorcycle through a desert, carrying an unusual cargo: 21 satellite dishes, each pointing in a different direction. This intriguing scene symbolizes the struggle for direction and the overwhelming nature of choices.
Baddou's work is part of a larger project, "Paraboles," which delves into the identity of Moroccan people and their perception of the world. It explores the idea that, for Moroccans and many postcolonial nations, their minds have been colonized, much like their land.
Baddou's artistic journey is deeply personal. Growing up in a diplomatic family in Rabat, she attended a French school, learning European history and culture. After living in Paris for a decade, she returned to Morocco with a new perspective, noticing satellite dishes everywhere. These dishes inspired her to create a fictional Hertzian Republic, where exiled people search for a better future, only to find it's an illusion.
The project includes various art forms: texts, installations, and a short film showcasing a pilgrimage to places seen on screens. Baddou even crafted goat-skin passports, a nod to nomadic Moroccan culture, and invented a language based on satellite waves, with its own sacred book.
The iconic Peugeot 103 motorcycle, a symbol of modern Morocco, was transformed with satellite dishes, becoming a powerful reminder of our tendency to overlook the present.
Baddou's return to Morocco a year ago revealed a rapidly evolving country, inspiring and fascinating. She highlights the cultural diversity, from Spanish-speaking northerners to those who speak different dialects of Amazigh and Darija, yet a unified sense of nationhood.
Language plays a significant role in her art, questioning how words shape our thoughts and beliefs. In Darija, for instance, the train doesn't get missed; it leaves you behind.
Baddou's work explores the intersection of French and Moroccan cultures, focusing on how beliefs shape our sense of self and direction in life, a deeply mystical aspect of humanity.
Her artistic journey gained recognition with the Dakar Biennale in 2024 and the Saatchi Art for Change prize, making her believe her work could resonate globally. Her recent solo show at the Macaal in Marrakech further solidified her impact.
"Keep your eyes open all the time," she advises, a fitting mantra for an artist with such a unique perspective.
