INVISIBLE BORDERS

In Morocco, there exist borders that appear on no map. Silent yet pervasive, they trace invisible lines that divide, categorize, and quietly remind each individual of their origins and the limits imposed upon them.
These borders are interwoven into daily life, concealed within an accent, a surname, a neighborhood, or a family history. They speak through questions such as “Weld men nta? Mnin nta? Fach khdam?” (Who is your father? Where are you from? What is your job?), markers that open or close doors long before anyone has the chance to knock.

They also endure beneath layers of wealth, education, and social privilege. Some are born on the favorable side of these lines, while others spend their lives striving to break through invisible barriers.
This year, Bayt Al Fenn invites artists to engage with these unseen yet deeply rooted borders: to trace them, question them, and imagine their dissolution. How can language serve as both a weapon and a refuge? Why do a name or an origin continue to define one’s destiny? And what might it mean to envision a country freed from these invisible walls?