Blinded Resident (2014) is a project, by Mariëlle Videler, about discovering Morocco without seeing the country. An artistic research on the patterns and the special role of women in the shaping of the Amazigh culture. In this blog she shares her intensive, manual work process and her conceptual research that often deliberately shifts to the dark side when the work is presented.

In the first part of the project Mariëlle Videler travelled to Morocco without seeing the landscape / cities and stayed in an isolated place in Tamdaght, with a family at their home in a 17th-century kasbah. By covering her eyes outdoors, she focuses on listening, smelling, feeling, tasting and gives all her attention to the special meetings with the family Montaser.

Straight from Morocco, again blindfolded, she travelled to the Pomgemaal in Den Helder for the continuation of Blinded Resident. The Pompgemaal is a guest studio of the Mondriaan Fonds and located on the edge of vast and protected dunes of Den Helder. In 2008 the Mondriaan Fonds has, together with the municipality of Den Helder refurbished this typical early 20th century water pump station and adapted the station as a residence and workspace for artists. During the two-month work period at the Pompgemaal Mariëlle Videler created the installation A New Carpet For The Sultan.

Blinded Resident is a sequel to Blinded Tourist (2010) a journey undertaken in an installation, a handmade settlement, in art space W139, Amsterdam. 

Blinded Resident is supported by an anonymous fund and the Mondriaan Fund.