In Medina Marrakech, you can now stay amongst 300 thoughtfully curated works of art, including a significant exhibition of physical NFT artworks. This is all made possible by boutique hotel group IZZA, at its debut House of Friends location that also encompasses its Museum in The Medina (MITM) curated by Studio137.
The grounds are made up of seven ancient homes that host 14 unique bedrooms, three tranquil courtyards, a pool, a restaurant, a bar, and a sprawling rooftop terrace — which is said to feature Refik Anadol’s Machine Hallucinations: Mars on a 6-foot screen.
As for the rest of the collection, MITM has shared that it has specifically exhibited works that relate to four main categories, Generative Art, Photography, Contemporary Art, and Bill Willis archives, a leading light of Moroccan-style interior design in the mid 1900’s.
It’s worth noting, that the attention to detail that has gone into this curation is reflected by the presentation of each work, with NFT-based works including information like title, edition count, date of creation, description, links to the artist’s site and socials, as well as who collects the work and its contract address.
Generative Art
Of all the categories collected and curated, the generative art section of MITM is the most substantial, featuring multiple works from each of the following artists: William Mapan, Dmitri Cherniak, Matt DesLauriers, Refik Anadol, Tyler Hobbs, Dandelion Wist, Kjetil Golid, Michael Zancan, Manoloide, Monica Rizzolli, Emily Xie, Iskra Velitchkova, Tara Donovan, Che-Yu Wu, Osinachi and a set of punks and Autoglyphs from LarvaLabs.
Notable generative art collections highlighted by MITM include Fidenza by Hobbs, Ringers by Cherniak, Meridians by DesLauriers, Anticyclones by Mapan, and Memories of Qilin by Xie.
Photography
Photographers featured in the collection include Leila Alaoui, Sebastião Salgado, Ismail Zaidy, Ziad Naitaddi, Anass Ouzziz, Diana Lui, Daoud Aoulad Syad, Yatreda, Zhou Peng, and Reuben Wu.
MITM mentions large-scale photographs from Alaoui’s Les Marocains series as one of the notable pieces of the collection alongside motion portraits by Ethiopian prodigy Yatreda
Contemporary Art
On the contemporary art front are names like Khadija Jayi, Mouhcine Rahaoui, Hicham Benohoud, Hassan Hajjaj, Rachid Bakkar, Hafid Marbou, Nabil Boudarqa, Ahmed Bibaoune, KRM, Tibari Kantour, Hafid Marbou, and Yassine Mekhnache.
Some of the most notable works that MITM highlighted include those by Hajjaj, Jayi, and Rahaouian.
Bill Willis Archives
Last but not least are the Bill Willis Archives, which hold a special place at the heart of IZZA, as they act as an underlying inspiration for the overall concept and design of the hotel museum.
IZZA shared that it “Draws from the life and aesthetics of Bill Willis. His distinctive style and eclectic designs are evident throughout the hotel. Guests can marvel at intricate zellige details and a plethora of photographs and memorabilia showcasing his life among stars like Grace Jones, Mick Jagger, and Yves Saint Laurent. These precious items were sourced from his former home, Dar Noujoum, a property that IZZA’s proprietors take pride in owning.”
A Unique Place and Space
Of all the rooms available at IZZA, Grace stands out for its diverse art collection and Parisian textiles. Named after the renowned musician and actress, Grace Jones, this bedroom is adorned with a custom-made textile and hardwood bedhead. The detailing continues with bespoke taupe floor tiles complemented by a hand-cut zellige border inlay.
Inside the room and its adjacent private sejour, guests will find works from DesLauriers, Xie, Boudarqa, and a host of Bill Willis archives.
You can book a stay now at any of the rooms, with prices ranging from $150 USD to $770 USD per night, based on current rates and availability at the time of writing.
Beyond the beautiful surroundings and rooms, IZZA represents a unique space in time for digital art as a whole, as the represented works take on the physical form, further cementing their significance in the overarching traditional art world.