Nicknamed "the Blue Pearl," in reference to the indigo blue which makes the fame of this Moroccan city, the exhibition conceived by Manuel Lama is intended as a photographic retrospective of the multiple trips made by this Spanish artist-photographer to Morocco. The dozens of photographs that line the walls of the gallery of the Casa Arabe Foundation and the sound of water flowing in the stone fountains, envelop this collection of snapshots, with a bewitching charm.

Through this exhibition, Lama declares his love for the Kingdom, a country he particularly cherishes. "As I had previously produced an exhibition on Morocco, I wanted to bring a different perspective on this country to the biennial. And my choice was fixed on Chefchaouen," the artist photographer told MAP. "It is a unique city in many ways."

Through his work, the artist has succeeded in capturing the blissful atmosphere which envelops the medina and the tranquility which emerges from the narrow streets of Chefchaouen. "My ambition through this exhibition is to tell a story. That of a country of light and colors. Of course, I am an urban photographer, but I pay special attention to faces and human features. In Morocco, I was overwhelmed because the people who seduced me with their humanism and their open-mindedness, "Lama added. 

Manuel Lama has had a lengthy career as a professional photographer, having experienced different concepts, trends and styles. The camera is an extension of his way of seeing and understanding life, of looking inside and outside of himself, perceiving emotions and feelings about himself and others; a way of seeing with the eyes, looking with the mind and perceiving with the heart.