On Value

The project centers on the Mendil, a traditional handwoven fabric crafted by women in the Jbala region of northern Morocco, and interrogates its cultural and economic valuation in a tourism-driven economy. Traditionally functional, worn as an apron to protect garments and provide warmth during agricultural work, the Mendil has evolved into a cultural emblem commodified as souvenirs, tablecloths, and bedspreads in tourist destinations. This shift has placed the craft in a precarious position, with male intermediaries exploiting young female artisans by purchasing their work at minimal prices and reselling it for significant profit in urban markets.

Collaborating with Fatima, a young artisan, the project encodes her labor’s value directly into the fabric. Over seven days, a 33-meter-long Mendil was woven, with 30 golden stripes inscribed along its length to represent the 30 euros she earned during the process. This intervention records both the production time and its undervalued compensation, visually emphasizing the economic disparity inherent in the system. By integrating traditional patterns with these encoded elements, the work critiques how tourism commodifies craftsmanship, prioritizing mass production over the preservation of cultural heritage.

The project documents a critical moment of overtourism’s impact, disrupting the craft’s evolution and threatening its historical continuity. It raises questions about how neo-colonialism and the “Western gaze” persist in shaping perceptions of value, often distorting cultural practices to fit commercialized narratives. Through its visual and conceptual approach, the work reveals how the same structures of inequality that have historically marginalized artisans remain unchallenged in contemporary systems.

By weaving together Fatima’s story, the traditional craft of Mendil-making, and the encoded critique of exploitation, the project serves as both a testament to cultural resilience and a call to reevaluate the systems that perpetuate economic and social disparities in the global craft economy.

The project was created during Art Explora Mediterannean Crossed Residencies Programme.

• technical specifications

  Handwoven cotton textile 3300 cm x 88 cm

• year

  2024

• acknowledgements

  Zohra Chat, Mouna Ahizoune, Fatima Kahia