Working as an Artist in Fez Medina
What You Need to Know
What you need to know
Working as an Artist in
Fez Medina
For many artists considering an art residency in Morocco, the question is not only where to go, but what it actually means to live and work in that place.
Fez Medina offers a very different experience from a conventional studio-based residency. It is not a quiet, isolated environment, but a living, working city where craft, trade, and daily life take place next to eachother.
Working as an artist in Fez requires a degree of openness and adaptability, but for those willing to engage openly and authentically, it offers a depth of experience that is difficult to find elsewhere.
This guide outlines what to expect when working in Fez Medina, from practical considerations to creative opportunities.
Working as an artist in Fez requires a degree of openness and adaptability, but for those willing to engage openly and authentically, it offers a depth of experience that is difficult to find elsewhere.
This guide outlines what to expect when working in Fez Medina, from practical considerations to creative opportunities.
Understanding the Medina as a Working Environment
Fez Medina is one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world, with a structure that has evolved over more than a thousand years.
Rather than separating living, working, and commercial spaces, the Medina integrates them. Workshops, homes, markets, and places of worship exist side by side.
For artists, this means:
Rather than separating living, working, and commercial spaces, the Medina integrates them. Workshops, homes, markets, and places of worship exist side by side.
For artists, this means:
- There is no clear boundary between studio and environment
- Inspiration is immediate and constant
- Distraction is also part of the experience
Studio vs. City
Where Does the Work Happen?
In many artist residencies, the studio is central - a defined, often private space where work is produced, separated from the outside environment. In Fez, the relationship is different. The boundaries between studio, city, and daily life are less fixed, allowing practice to move more fluidly between spaces.
While some artists do work from a defined studio or workspace, others find that their process naturally extends beyond it, shaped by the immediacy and richness of the Medina. Work becomes less about staying in one place, and more about responding to what is encountered throughout the day.
This might take the form of:
While some artists do work from a defined studio or workspace, others find that their process naturally extends beyond it, shaped by the immediacy and richness of the Medina. Work becomes less about staying in one place, and more about responding to what is encountered throughout the day.
This might take the form of:
- Sketching in cafés or courtyards
- Setting up on a rooftop or terrace
- Observing craft processes in workshops
- Gathering materials or visual references from the souks
- Developing ideas through walking and exploration
Over time, this shifts the perception of what a studio is. Rather than being a single location, it becomes something more open and adaptable, a network of spaces, moments, and encounters that feed into the work. The Medina itself becomes part of the studio, a dynamic, flexible, and evolving workspace that continually informs both process and perspective
Daily Rhythm and Pace of Work
Life in Fez Medina follows its own rhythm, as it has done for generations - one that gradually reveals itself rather than being imposed. Mornings tend to be slower and quieter, providing time for focus before the city fully awakens. The morning call to prayer starts the day before dawn, then shops and stalls open around mid-morning.
By midday, the pace shifts, and the Medina becomes more intense, at times flooded with movement, sound, and activity. Mid-afternoon, the children spill out from their schools, and as evening approaches, the atmosphere softens again, becoming more social, reflective, and open.
For artists, this natural cycle creates a structure that is less about rigid scheduling and more about responding to the environment:
By midday, the pace shifts, and the Medina becomes more intense, at times flooded with movement, sound, and activity. Mid-afternoon, the children spill out from their schools, and as evening approaches, the atmosphere softens again, becoming more social, reflective, and open.
For artists, this natural cycle creates a structure that is less about rigid scheduling and more about responding to the environment:
- Time for focused work
- Time for observation and movement
- Time for reflection
Materials, Craft, and Making in Fez
Among the most distinctive and appealing aspects of working in Fez is access to traditional materials and techniques that remain part of everyday life. Rather than being preserved behind glass, these practices are active, visible, and embedded within the Medina. Workshops can be found in almost every alleyway, with craftsmen happy to share their knowledge.
The city is known for its long-standing craft traditions, including:
For artists, this opens up a different way of working, one that is grounded in observation and material understanding. It becomes possible to:
The city is known for its long-standing craft traditions, including:
- Zellige (hand-cut tilework)
- Wood carving
- Leather production
- Textiles and weaving
- Metalwork
For artists, this opens up a different way of working, one that is grounded in observation and material understanding. It becomes possible to:
- Observe processes directly within workshops
- Engage with artisans and learn from their methods
- Source materials locally from the Medina itself
This proximity to making shifts the relationship between idea and execution. It creates opportunities to explore material-led practice in ways that are not always possible elsewhere, where process, technique, and context become part of the work itself
Practical Considerations for Artists
Working in Fez Medina is highly rewarding, but it also requires a degree of practical awareness. The Medina operates differently from a conventional studio environment, and understanding this early on makes the experience far more fluid and enjoyable.
Space, for example, is often more adaptable than fixed. Work spaces may be shared, flexible, or integrated into living spaces, encouraging a way of working that is less compartmentalised and more responsive to the environment.
Many of the traditional properties have small windows to help regulate temperatures, but this also affects the amount of natural light available. Creativity often takes place on rooftops and terraces where the lighting is better, and which often benefit from inspiring views of the Medina rooftops and nearby hills.
The Medina itself is active and ever-changing. Rather than a controlled setting, it brings with it a constant presence of:
Logistically, the city also requires a shift in expectations. Access is on foot, and moving materials or organising deliveries often involves a bit more planning than in other contexts. Connectivity is generally reliable, with WiFi available in most places, though speeds can vary and are not always consistent.
Taken together, these factors form part of the working reality of Fez Medina. Rather than limitations, they shape a different and more authentic way of working, one that is adaptive, attentive, and closely connected to place.
These are not limitations, but part of the working reality of Fez Medina.
Space, for example, is often more adaptable than fixed. Work spaces may be shared, flexible, or integrated into living spaces, encouraging a way of working that is less compartmentalised and more responsive to the environment.
Many of the traditional properties have small windows to help regulate temperatures, but this also affects the amount of natural light available. Creativity often takes place on rooftops and terraces where the lighting is better, and which often benefit from inspiring views of the Medina rooftops and nearby hills.
The Medina itself is active and ever-changing. Rather than a controlled setting, it brings with it a constant presence of:
- Sound
- Movement
- Interruption
Logistically, the city also requires a shift in expectations. Access is on foot, and moving materials or organising deliveries often involves a bit more planning than in other contexts. Connectivity is generally reliable, with WiFi available in most places, though speeds can vary and are not always consistent.
Taken together, these factors form part of the working reality of Fez Medina. Rather than limitations, they shape a different and more authentic way of working, one that is adaptive, attentive, and closely connected to place.
These are not limitations, but part of the working reality of Fez Medina.
Cultural Context and
Working Respectfully
Working Respectfully
Fez is a deeply conservative society, rooted in culture, spirituality and religion, and shaped by long-standing traditions and a strong sense of continuity. For artists, working here is not simply about entering a new visual environment, but about connecting with a place that holds meaning for the people who live within it.
Approaching this context with the right mindset is essential. It calls for a balance of:
Approaching this context with the right mindset is essential. It calls for a balance of:
- Respect
- Curiosity
- Awareness
Working as an artist in Morocco is not just about taking inspiration, but about participating respectfully in a cultural context, recognising that the environment you are drawing from is also a living culture to which you are, however briefly, connected.
Isolation vs. Connection
The Medina has a way of holding both extremes at once. It can feel highly social, full of interaction, movement, and shared experience, while at the same time offering moments that are deeply introspective and inward-looking.
Artists often find themselves moving between these states. There can be periods of intense focus, where work develops quickly and clearly, alongside moments of disorientation or overwhelming intensity as the density of the environment takes hold.
At the same time, strong and unexpected connections with people and place often emerge, shaping both the experience and the work itself.
Artists often find themselves moving between these states. There can be periods of intense focus, where work develops quickly and clearly, alongside moments of disorientation or overwhelming intensity as the density of the environment takes hold.
At the same time, strong and unexpected connections with people and place often emerge, shaping both the experience and the work itself.
- Periods of intense focus
- Moments of disorientation or overwhelm
- Strong connections with people and place
What Artists Gain from Working in Fez
The outcomes of working in Fez are not always immediate or easy to define. Unlike more output-driven residencies, the emphasis here often shifts away from producing finished work and towards a deeper, more gradual process of development.
Many artists leave with something less tangible, but ultimately more significant:
Many artists leave with something less tangible, but ultimately more significant:
- New directions in their practice
- A stronger relationship to material and process
- A shift in perspective
- Ideas that continue to evolve over time
These are not always visible in the moment, but tend to surface later, influencing how work is approached, understood, and developed. The impact of an artist residency in Fez Medina often unfolds gradually, extending beyond the time spent in the city and continuing to shape practice long after the experience itself.
Fez Art Residency
Supporting Artists in Context
Fez Art Residency is designed to support artists working within the specific conditions of the Medina, recognising that this environment requires a different approach to both practice and process. Rather than imposing a fixed structure, the residency offers a framework that allows artists to navigate the city in their own way and at their own pace, responding to what they encounter.
At its core, it provides:
This creates a balance between support and autonomy. Artists engage with Fez in different ways, depending on their practice, interests, and intentions, some focusing on making, others on research, exploration, or reflection.
The focus is on enabling artists to work meaningfully within Fez, rather than around it, allowing the context of the Medina to actively inform and shape their practice.
At its core, it provides:
- A supportive base to live and work
- Orientation within the city
- Access to local context and networks
- Space for independent development
This creates a balance between support and autonomy. Artists engage with Fez in different ways, depending on their practice, interests, and intentions, some focusing on making, others on research, exploration, or reflection.
The focus is on enabling artists to work meaningfully within Fez, rather than around it, allowing the context of the Medina to actively inform and shape their practice.
Conclusion
Working as an artist in Fez Medina is not always predictable or straightforward. It asks for flexibility, patience, attention, and a willingness to engage with a different way of living and working.
In return, it offers a depth of experience that goes beyond the studio, where the city itself becomes part of the creative process.
In return, it offers a depth of experience that goes beyond the studio, where the city itself becomes part of the creative process.
For artists seeking an art residency in Morocco that prioritises context, material, and lived experience, Fez Medina provides a unique and powerful environment in which to develop their practice.