The Institute for Advanced Studies – UM6P hosted the inaugural seminar of artist-in-residence François Beaurain, entitled “The Lens as Archive: Identifying and Documenting Morocco’s Forgotten Heritage.” Held as part of The Wednesdays of IAS, the seminar brought together researchers, students, and members of the UM6P community for a rich interdisciplinary exchange.

During his talk, François Beaurain presented his long-term photographic and research practice dedicated to architectural forms often excluded from official heritage narratives in Morocco. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, he explored cinemas, industrial and mining sites, infrastructure projects, workers’ housing, and military architecture from the colonial period. Through carefully documented visual archives, his work reveals an alternative historical landscape—one that challenges dominant representations of Moroccan heritage.

The seminar highlighted photography not only as an artistic practice, but also as a powerful archival and research tool, capable of preserving memory, producing knowledge, and questioning heritage policies. It opened a broader reflection on the identification, documentation, and future of architectural heritage that remains largely overlooked and increasingly threatened.

The IAS team was particularly honored by the strong student participation and the quality of the discussions, which greatly enriched the exchange with the speaker. This seminar marked a compelling opening to François Beaurain’s residency at IAS–UM6P and set the tone for future conversations at the crossroads of art, research, architecture, and cultural heritage