Rabat – The INEX Chaoui Bois Art Gallery in Salé opened today at 6 p.m. for an exhibition by Kazakh painter Zhanuzak Musapir. The show runs until February 7, 2026.
The Embassy of Kazakhstan partnered with the Belghazi Museum of Musical Instruments (Dar Al Qadi) to put on the event, held under the theme “The Childhood and Life of Al-Farabi”, showing Morocco’s role as a meeting point between East and West.
The centerpiece was Musapir’s project “From Childhood to Wisdom” (2016-2020), a mural made of five connected paintings.
The work measures 11.5 meters long and 1.8 meters high. It follows the philosopher Al-Farabi’s path from his youth to his intellectual maturity, moving through historic centers such as Otrar, Samarkand, Bukhara, Baghdad, and Damascus.
Symbols like caravans, manuscripts, and books appear throughout, linking travel with learning and showing the continuity of human knowledge across cultures. The organizers describe the exhibition as cultural diplomacy, using art to build cooperation and shared heritage.
In an interview with Morocco World News (MWN) during the exhibition, Kazakhstan’s ambassador to Morocco, Saulekul Sailaukyzy, thanked Sale’s local authorities and partners for helping organize the event.
She underlined the importance of the theme, describing Al-Farabi as the “second master” after Aristotle. She noted that Kazakhstan values him highly because he is linked to Otrar, his place of origin, before his intellectual journey took him to Damascus.
The ambassador also said Sale was chosen for personal reasons, pointing to her friendships in the city and its rich history.
Al-Farabi’s legacy
Al-Farabi, who lived between the late ninth and mid-tenth centuries, is considered one of the most influential philosophers of medieval Islam.
He is widely seen as the greatest authority after Aristotle in the Islamic tradition. Though details of his life remain uncertain, scholars agree he worked to organize logic and philosophy and to adapt Greek thought to the needs of his time.
He is also remembered for his contributions to music theory, including the Great Book of Music, and for his writings on political philosophy, especially the idea of the virtuous city.
Musapir’s large mural, now on display in Salé, brings this legacy into visual form. The exhibition invites Moroccan audiences to see Al-Farabi not only as a figure from history but as a symbol of knowledge in motion, linking cultures through art.
