Experience The Colors of Tangier at The Mothership.

August 2024

DATES: August 1 – August 11th, 2024, 11 days, 10 nights

PRICING: $4495 includes all activities as detailed below, airfare and lodging are additional 

REGISTER HERE: https://botanicalcolors.com/shop/workshops/experience-the-colors-of-tangier-at-the-mothership-with-yto-barrada/

The Workshop Overview

In this workshop you will be immersed in Moroccan culture, textiles, dye plants and in free creative play. You will be guided in a methodical approach to color building, using the natural dyes growing at the Mothership in Tangier, by Cara Piazza, a New York City based natural dyer and artist. In addition, you will have guided studio time for interdependent creative exploration of natural dye techniques. You will also have ample time to experience and explore the city, including visits to markets, artisans’ coops, and meeting local artists. She will be accompanied by Megumi Arai who will be assisting as part of the Botanical Colors team. Through this experience you will leave with a knowledge of how to extract color from raw natural dye stuffs, mordant (pre-treat your fiber to be able to take the dye), mix natural dye colors to make new exciting hues and leave having created your own swatch library testing the colors of Tangier. Cara will also cover how to shift your natural dyes you forage from the land with pH modifiers along with demonstrating eco – printing & how to make cosmic prints. 

The Mothership is a radical eco-campus for artists, makers, and researchers growing, making, and learning natural dyes and indigenous traditions, and a place for experimental collective artistic practice through art residencies and workshops. Gathering knowledge, rethinking indigenous heritage and collective engagement with nature are at the heart of this project, based in Moroccan artist Yto Barrada’s Tangier family farmhouse. It is an artist-led project creating space and time for research, artistic exploration and retreat, inspired by natural dyes.

The activity of the Mothership centers around a natural dye garden overlooking the Mediterranean; the art and science of dyes and pigments are shared through workshops, classes, independent studies. The Mothership also hosts longer-stay residencies, with recent residents including George Clinton of Parliament Funkadelic (painting); and textile conservator Thalia Bajon-Bouzid (dye lab).

Founder, Yto Barrada, a Brooklyn-based Moroccan artist, grew up in a home adjacent to the wilder lands which now house the Mothership; she returned to Tangier and began living in the Gardener’s House located in the property in 2003.

Learn more about Yto and The Mothership in these articles on Art Basel and Stedelijk Studies.

 

The Land & Dye Garden

The part-wild, part cultivated property where The Mothership is taking root is situated just 10 minutes from Tangier’s city center. The spacious 8 hectares sit on the flank of the legendary Old Mountain, above steep cliffs where the sunrise comes down the Mediterranean to the east. On a clear day, southern Spain is visible 23 kms away due north across the Strait of Gibraltar. The stunning biodiversity of Northern Morocco – at the botanical crossroads of Africa, the Arab world and Europe – is evident everywhere on this land. Plants with deep roots in this land sit beside varieties planted over the past 2 decades by local and international gardeners, including a growing assortment of dye plants which we will use to make colors. The Dye Garden, located along planted terraces on property, grows a selection of indigenous and historical natural dye plants used to produce dyes. Seasonally, the plants are harvested and processed to generate a micro-production of natural dyes and pigments – deep blue from indigo, red from madder roots, pinks from cochineal, yellow from coreopsis, oxalis and cosmos.

Tangier’s rich history and cultural heritage have left an indelible mark on pop culture, inspiring generations of artists, writers, and filmmakers to explore its mysteries and embrace its enchanting spirit. From its literary legacy to its cinematic portrayals, Tangier continues to captivate and inspire audiences around the world. Tangier gained prominence in the 1950s and 1960s as a haven for writers of the Beat Generation, including William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, and Allen Ginsberg. They were attracted to Tangier’s bohemian lifestyle, cheap cost of living, and laissez-faire attitude towards personal freedom and experimentation. American writer and composer Paul Bowles is perhaps one of Tangier’s most famous residents. He moved to Tangier in 1947 and spent much of his life there, immersing himself in the local culture and landscape. On our trip we will learn about and experience Morocco and the culture of Tangier from the Moroccan artists themselves, and see how they are reclaiming their contemporary artistic scene.

Itinerary

This is our planned itinerary and we may have some minor changes as we finalize the  schedule.

Transportation Transportation to The Mothership and back to Tangier Old City will be provided on workshop days. A private bus shuttle will pick you up at a set location in the Old City, approximately 5 minutes walking distance from hotels listed above to bring you to The Mothership. Any other transportation will be arranged independently.  You can find a wonderful write up on Tangier in Conde Nast Traveler here: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-creatives-are-telling-the-story-of-contemporary-tangier

Free Time The Mothership will provide a list of recommended experiences for free time exploration, including historical and cultural sites, restaurants, hammams, and markets.

Day One – August 1

4:00 PM – Please meet at our designated location for the private bus to take you to The Mothership.  Private cars are not encouraged due to parking restrictions and availability.

Welcome Dinner: Group and hosts from The Mothership. Please let us know if you have any food allergies or preferences.

Day 2: August 2

Morning: Introduction to The Mothership. We will have a light Moroccan snack breakfast for you and introduce you to the studio, library, grounds and dye lab. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and anything you might need to make you feel comfortable in the sun.

Lunch provided at The Mothership

Afternoon: Mordanting and prepping our fabrics and fibers

Evening & Dinner : Free Time

Day 3: August 3

Morning: Gathering the Colors of the Mothership. Walking the wildflower gardens and collecting our dye plants. Prepping our dye baths.

Lunch provided at The Mothership

Afternoon: Cara will lead a demonstration on immersion dyeing and testing the colors of Tangier.

Evening & Dinner : Free Time

Day 4: August 4

Morning: Bundle Dyeing and pH shifting workshop at The Mothership

Lunch provided at The Mothership

Afternoon: Guided Studio time and swatch building

Dinner & Evening: Free time

Optional: Screening at the Cinematheque  https://www.cinemathequedetanger.com/en/

Day 5: August 5

Morning: Visit to the Produce & Fish Market, Weavers Co-op & Darna

Lunch: Couscous at Darna

Afternoon & Evening: Free to explore the New & Old City

Day 6: August 6

Morning: Moroccan Embroidery Lace Making Workshop by New Tangier

Lunch at The Mothership

Afternoon: Open Studio Time at the Mothership

Dinner & Evening: Free time

Stitching and Free Studio Time

Day 7: August 7

Morning: Beach Trip to the sea with picnic lunch

Afternoon: Open Studio Time

Dinner & Evening: Free time

Day 8: August 8

Morning: Open Studio Time

Lunch at The Mothership

Afternoon: Mothership Trip to the Markets and Medina

Dinner & Evening: Free time

Day 9: August 9

Morning: Free time

Group lunch at Cinematheque

Afternoon: Risograph Workshop at Think Tangier 

Dinner & Evening: Free time

Day 10: August 10

Conclusion and Celebration

Collective Sharing Presentation of work

Early Goodbye Dinner and farewell party at The Mothership.

Day 11: August 11

After breakfast at your hotel, depart for the airport and return home with many fond memories and experiences.

 

About the Artists

Yto Barrada (b. 1971, Paris) is a Moroccan-French artist recognized for her multidisciplinary investigations of cultural phenomena and historical narratives. Engaging with the performativity of archival practices and public interventions, Barradaʼs installations reinterpret social relationships, uncover subaltern histories, and reveal the prevalence of fiction in institutionalized narratives. In 2006, Barrada founded the artist-run Cinémathèque de Tanger, North Africa’s first cinema cultural center, now an internationally appreciated institution.

Her work has been exhibited at the Stedelijk Museum, Mass MoCA, Tate Modern, the Barbican, The Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Renaissance Society, the Walker Art Centre, Whitechapel Gallery and the 2007 and 2011 Venice Biennales. Barrada has received multiple awards, including the Mario Merz Prize (2022); the Queen Sonja Print Award (2022); the Roy R. Neuberger Prize (2019); the Abraaj Group Art Prize, UAE (2015); Robert Gardner Fellowship in Photography (2013); Deutsche Guggenheim Artist of the Year (2011).

Cara Marie Piazza is a Natural Dyer and artisan working in New York city.

She creates one of a kind textiles only using natural dye stuffs such as botanicals, plant matter, minerals, non-toxic metals and food wastes. She treats her fabrics through alchemical dye sessions, ancient shibori techniques and bundle dyeing, transforming each textile into its very own story. She works with both designers and artists to realize their natural dyeing needs as well as creates custom pieces for private clients.

Cara teaches workshops on natural dyeing and curates unique experiences merging healing, color and art.

Designer and artist clients include: Jason Wu, Mara Hoffman, Another Tomorrow, Meridian Child Motorcycle Club, Eileen Fisher, Samuel Snider, Eckhaus Latta, Alice Waese, Dena Yago,  1-100, Club Monaco, chakrubs, Ochii, Jennifer Behr, 11:11, Judi Rosen, Mimi Prober and more.

Megumi Shauna Arai (b. 1989) is an artist based in New York City. Her practice is inspired by abstraction, craft, and the experience of betweenness with a particular interest in literal and metaphorical borders and the notion of belonging. Recent exhibitions include A Summer Arrangement: Object & Thing at LongHouse (2023), The Third Kind, Curated by Lola Kramer & Loup Sarion, Management Gallery (2023), Object & Thing at Madoo: Megumi Shauna Arai and Frances Palmer (2022), At The Noyes House: Blum & Poe, Mendes Wood DM and Object & Thing (2020), Lore: Reimagined, Wing Luke Museum (2018) and Midst, Jacob Lawrence Gallery (2018). She has been awarded residencies in Japan, Ireland, Italy, Washington, Maine, and California, including Headlands Center for the Arts (2023). She recently completed a socially engaged project with elders in the East Village in partnership with the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council in 2023. She is represented by gallery Object & Thing.

COST INCLUDES

• In-Country Transportation: The Mothership and Botanical Colors cover all transportation within Tangier once you have arrived at your hotel. Your hotel accommodation will arrange pick up from the airport. There will be a shuttle bus provided for you that will pick you up from the Old City.
• Most Meals: This experience incorporates home-cooked meals with artisan families using local and seasonal ingredients for our lunches at The Mothership. We will leave most dinners open, to allow guests time to explore on their own. You will be provided with a list of restaurants and shops in your welcome packet.
• Education + Supplies: Your registration covers costs for all craft materials, dyes and supplies for the workshop. Artisan instructors are all fairly compensated for their time offering demonstrations and workshops. You may bring up to 3 yards of your own fabric to work on during this trip.
• Support: We will have at least two hosts accompanying the group at all times, offering participants their combined knowledge of Morocco, while making sure everything runs smoothly. In addition, Botanical Colors and The Mothership staff are available to answer questions and assist with trip preparations prior to the experience.

ADDITIONAL EXPENSES

Accommodation: Tangier has a large number of beautiful and comfortable lodging options.  Small traditional hotels called riads are a wonderful way to experience Moroccan hospitality..  We recommend you stay at the following hotels as they are near many attractions, close to the transportation pickup point, comfortable, and moderately priced.

https://latangerina.com/ 

https://darnour.com/en/the-rooms

http://www.riadmokhtar.com/

Please let us know if you are interested in sharing lodging and we can match you with another guest who is interested too!

Air Ticketing:  If you are arriving from North America, most flights to Tangier connect through Madrid, Spain. If you are arriving from other countries, we recommend that you fly via Madrid, Spain, with a connection flight into Tangier. You can also fly into Casablanca, and take a 3 hour train ride to Tangier, although logistics can be more complicated.

Personal Travel Insurance: We require all participants to have personal travel insurance. This will cover things like illness, trip and/or flight cancellations, theft, etc. Upon registration, we will send information about travel insurance companies.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE DATES

We ask that all travelers arrive before 5pm on the first day of our trip to ensure attendance at our group welcome dinner and orientation on August 1.

Please check air travel and connections from your departure city as some flights are overnight. We suggest that you arrive in Tangier on 7/31 and depart Tangier ON 8/11

OTHER INFO

CANCELLATION: We will have a detailed terms and conditions and waiver of liability that must be signed prior to joining our trip. It will outline all the nitty details. Be aware that all sales are final and that we cannot refund the trip costs if you change your mind or circumstances prevent your travel. 

TRIP INSURANCE:  Travel insurance is mandatory and we will request proof of purchase to confirm your participation. We will send information with what types of coverage to purchase. We recommend you find your insurance through: https://www.squaremouth.com

WHAT IS COVERED IN THIS WORKSHOP: The trip does not cover travel incidentals such as alcoholic beverages, food or snacks beyond what is on our itinerary, laundry, transportation or trips outside of our planned itinerary, shopping for gifts or personal items, medical needs, and gratuities,

ENTRANCE VISA:  A visa is not required for citizens of the United States if traveling to Morocco for under 90 days. Please check visa requirements for Morocco if you are a citizen of another country.

PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS: In order to enter Morocco your passport must be valid for at least 90 days following your departure date. You must also have at least one blank page in your passport.

PAYMENT TERMS: All payments are in USD through botanicalcolors.com and may be subject to sales tax.  If you are interested in paying in installments, we offer AfterPay through PayPal.

ACCESSIBILITY: Please be aware that Tangier is very hot during the summer months. We will provide ample water, but bring anything you need to stay comfortable in the sun. The Mothership has hills, forest paths and steps.

Notable Press:

https://www.artbasel.com/stories/yto-barrada-mothership-morocco?lang=en

https://www.travelandleisure.com/fairmont-tangier-morocco-opening-review-7105625