"That’s the beauty of photography, it is a democratic medium"

I am honored and grateful to win this year’s MAST grant. It also feels special to win the prize for a project that I consider personal – one that is rooted in a particular place and time for me.

I would like to salute this year’s jury for welcoming projects that demonstrate an unorthodox and imaginative approach to photography. It proves that one can remain faithful to one’s idea, free from the formal, and often constraining, rules found in many photography competitions. And that’s very comforting. 

This was a lengthy process. First, I made a few (failed) attempts by trying to speak to the local bleach sellers I encountered in my neighborhood. Since they are pedlars, I had to wait for them to pass by our house. All three of the sellers from my neighborhood refused to be part of my work.

I spread the word and asked my friends and family to help me find bleach sellers who are willing to participate in the project. This did not work either – some had agreed on the first day then changed their mind the following day. 

Most of the bleach sellers are over 60 years old and belong to a generation that is skeptical about social media and the internet. As there are no legal regulations regarding street selling, the vendors also feared losing their jobs. I ended up hiring an assistant and through his help, I managed to find people who were eager to take part in the project. 

When Morocco was under French and Spanish colonial rule, Tangier was an international zone. This status made it possible for people of different ethnicities and nationalities to take it as a place of residence. But perhaps, what is most remarkable, is the city’s geostrategic position. Sitting at the tip of Africa, it is considered a gateway to Morocco on both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, separated only by eight miles from Spain. 

Vast redevelopment projects have been carried out in the city since King Mohammed VI ascended to the throne in 1999 after Tangier was seen to have been neglected during the reign of his father, King Hassan II. The city continues to grow at an exceptional speed, particularly since the opening of Tanger Med, Africa’s largest port. 

There is definitely a sense of slowness that could be found in Tangier more than any other big city in Morocco. I might even go as far as to say that slowness is one of its characteristics.

The expansion of the city created more job opportunities, but this also resulted in making the city more polluted, dense and violent. 

I am currently working on a new commission by le Frac Nouvelle-Aquitaine in  Bordeaux, France, for which I will make a new work that explores the peripheral landscape of the region. I’m also developing an idea for a new film which is scheduled to be shot this autumn. 

It was a pure accident! It goes back to the time when I worked as a bookseller in Tangier, 13 years ago. It was also a period in which I spent a lot of time going to the cinema and watching films. I believe movies helped me understand how composition and light works. But it was mainly the discovery of photo books and the writing of Georges Perec that gave me a taste for photography and observation. 

I bought a second-hand camera from a local shop and started taking pictures immediately. I suppose that’s the beauty of photography, it is a democratic medium: anyone can take pictures. However, it took me three more years to decide that I want to be a full-time photographer. I quit my studies at university and my job at the bookshop and focused on photography. 

I mainly work with a Linhof Technika V and I use, occasionally, the Mamiya RZ67. I  use Kodak Portra 160 for color and Ilford Delta 100 for black-and-white. I also used a Bolex H16 EL for shooting my recent film In Praise of Slowness. 

I have been using film since I started photography 13 years ago. I couldn’t buy or process medium format film in Morocco so I had to send all my films to France, which, back then, was very costly. So, from the very start, and due to this constraint, I learned to be precise and economical. Each frame was precious and I took the time to compose and frame my pictures. 

I don’t think this approach has changed much. I  would even say that I take less pictures now since I have been using large format. So, to answer your question, yes, it does affect the number of pictures I take, but not how  I work.