The Culture Department of the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication has officially launched ander.ma, a national platform dedicated to documenting, tracing and protecting Moroccan artworks. Designed as a dynamic archive and a preventive tool against art fraud, the platform already lists 973 artists, 5,294 artworks and one institution.
As the art market faces growing challenges over authentication and the risk of counterfeiting, ander.ma aims to become the first National Catalogue of Moroccan Artworks.
What is ander.ma?
ander.ma is not an automated certification system, but an evolving documentary and image database. Its basic principle is to document an artwork while it exists so that it can be traced throughout its lifetime.
The initiative stems from work carried out in 2024 and 2025 under the supervision of the public prosecutor’s office, bringing together the Culture Department, the National Foundation of Museums, the Ministry of Justice, the High Council of the Judiciary and professionals from the sector. The project aims to establish a common reference to make transactions and exhibitions more secure and help track artists’ market values.
From creation to verification
ander.ma operates through a participatory approach, allowing artists and other stakeholders in the sector to contribute directly to a shared record of Moroccan art. The process starts with artists themselves, who can register their paintings, sculptures, installations or digital creations, along with high-resolution photographs and a detailed description.
Artists are also encouraged to provide documents that help trace the history of their work, including exhibition catalogues, posters, invitation cards, press articles and certificates of provenance. Together, these records gradually create a digital identity for each artwork.
The database can then serve as a reference for the art market. Galleries, experts and auction houses can consult the archived information during transactions, exhibitions or the issuance of certificates of authenticity, allowing them to cross-check available records.
The platform also includes a reporting feature for suspicious, falsified or counterfeit artworks, allowing cases to be reviewed against the archived documentation.
For art-market professionals, the launch of such a tool represents a significant development, while also raising practical questions about how it will be implemented.
Choukri Bentaouit, director of Mazad Art auction house in Tangier, welcomed the project’s strategic importance while raising questions about historical collections. “It is a platform created by the Culture Department that will be mainly fed by artists. They will regularly submit their work to build a documentary and image archive that can help protect artworks and support research. For the years ahead, this is an excellent thing,” he said.
The expert nevertheless stressed the challenge of digitizing the work of older or deceased artists. “The question arises for older artists. How will this be done? Will digitized exhibition catalogues be incorporated, or will the archive rely on photographs of works that have already been documented? The direct involvement of market professionals and those responsible for the platform will help clarify these procedures,” he said.
A verification tool under a strict legal framework
The Culture Department stresses that ander.ma does not replace human, scientific or legal expertise. The platform is designed as a verification and preventive tool, providing a body of evidence when doubts or disputes arise.
Legally, the platform is managed in accordance with Law No. 09-08 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data. The archived content remains protected by copyright under the supervision of the Culture Department, while ensuring the confidentiality of data belonging to registered artists and collectors.
