Curtain Up on the 32nd International Video Art Festival

Casablanca – The 32nd Casablanca International Video Art Festival (FIAV) opened Tuesday evening at the Studio des Arts Vivants with the performance “Cosmic Alliance,” a show blending music and digital visual arts, in the presence of artists and professionals from the contemporary arts scene.

Presented by the artists Symbiose and Yoni, this inaugural performance offered an artistic dialogue between a musician and a digital and visual artist, through a poetic and spiritual experience illustrating the encounter between different forms of artistic expression.

Organized until November 14 by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities Ben M’sik, part of Hassan II University of Casablanca, this edition is themed “Digital Arts Facing New Configurations of Memory,” highlighting the transformations in the processes of preserving, transmitting, and reinterpreting memory in the digital age.

In a statement, Leila Ameziane, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Ben M’sik University and President of the festival, emphasized that this event, now in its third decade, serves as a platform for promoting digital culture and fostering dialogue between diverse artistic expressions.

She noted that the theme chosen for this edition reflects the transformations occurring in cultural and artistic practices under the influence of new technologies, highlighting the importance of supporting the evolution of contemporary creation and the aspirations of younger generations.

Ms. Ameziane also indicated that the festival aims to bring artistic creation closer to the general public through a program presented in various cultural venues across Casablanca, bringing together participants from different African and European countries.

For his part, the festival director, Majid Seddati, explained that the opening show, “Cosmic Alliance,” is based on a fusion of music and digital visual arts, offering the public an artistic experience grounded in the interaction between these two disciplines.

He specified that this year’s program includes artistic performances, exhibitions, video projections and digital installations, as well as training workshops, masterclasses, and an international symposium dedicated to the festival’s theme.

For five days, festivalgoers will be able to explore various forms of contemporary creation, including virtual and augmented reality, immersive and interactive installations, generative art, video games, and audiovisual productions incorporating artificial intelligence.

The festival’s activities take place in several university institutions and cultural spaces in Casablanca and Mohammedia, including the Faculty of Arts and Humanities Ben M’sik, the French Institute of Casablanca, the Museum of Photography and Visual Arts, and the National School of Art and Design (ENSAD) in Mohammedia.

This edition features artists and professionals from countries including Germany, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Ivory Coast, France, Laos, Tunisia, and Switzerland, alongside Moroccan creators.

The 32nd edition of the FIAV coincides with the third anniversary of Casablanca’s membership in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for digital arts, thus reaffirming the event’s role as a space for convergence between artistic creation, scientific research, and education.