Seven Summits

The Seven Summits project was commissioned for the 4th edition of the Marrakech Biennale. In October 2011 I summited the seven mountains over 4000 meters in the Western High Atlas range. I cut a stone from each peak and transported them to Marrakech to be displayed in a temporary installation. At the culmination of the exhibition I repeated the trek, restoring the stones to their exact origins. The seven mountains summited were Toubkal (4167m), Timesguida (4091m), Ras (4087m), Afella (4032m), Toubkal West (4024m), Akioud (4016m), and Biguinoussene (4001m).

The installation consisted of the peaks set atop a framework of Atlas Cedar– a locally-sourced wood that grows near the mountains. Constructed at 1/1000th scale to the size and location of the mountains, the names have been carved into the wood to identify the stones above. Situated on the roof of the Théâtre Royal, the Atlas Mountains are visible through the seven structures.

Photography and video assistance by Lachlan Pettit and Hermione O'Hea.

Integral to the success of this project was local Moroccan support including Hafid Lamrani (satchel maker), Houssein 'Tajin' Chajaa (Berber guide), Said Aafik (contractor), Youssef Latrach (student intern), Youssef Seltaoui (woodcarver), Abd Rahim Ouhassou (assistant), Tarik Bani (assistant), and Salima Hadimi (production assistant).