Jessica El Mal’s ‘Spring Rain 09.12.22’

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Jessica El Mal is a British-Moroccan artist and curator, with a particular interest in ecology, globalisation, and migration. Her work addresses global structures of power through critical research, multidisciplinary project and collaborative approaches.

‘Spring Rain 09.12.22‘ draws contrast between the perception of rain in Manchester – where the regular wet weather is often a cause of annoyance – and Morocco – which experiences an annual drought, worsened each year by climate change.

Whilst undertaking a roof-top cyanotype printing workshop (a type of printmaking using sunlight) in Morocco, the session was interrupted by unexpected rainfall, signalling the end of the dry season. Far from a cause for frustration – as the papers became splashed with rain – the rainfall was a welcome sign, and the prints became a visual record of the raindrops.

Jessica has exhibited work in the UK and Europe including Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, Manchester Museum, and MAMA Rotterdam. The Spring Rain cyanotypes were originally commissioned for the collaborative touring project Hybrid Futures in 2022-24, and were jointly acquired by the University of Salford Art Collection, Grundy Gallery, Blackpool, and Touchstones, Rochdale.

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Photographs on this page courtesy of Sam Parker, UoS Art Collection Team Assistant

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