Musee Boucharouite - Marrakech.

This little museum is a fantastic addition to the list of must visit places in the medina of Marrakech, it is a lovely and quiet museum displaying 'rag rugs', which offers a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of Marrakech.

This hidden Museum has so much to offer. Both the exhibits and the building itself are exquisite. Patrick de Maillard, the collector and building owner, has a great eye for artistic expression. He has sifted through vernacular crafts, in the form of woven and embroidered rag rugs from rural villages, to create a display of stunning visual delight. Patrick has put together a fantastic collection of popular art in the shape of handmade artisan floor coverings, this is embellished with old photos venerating the king as seen in traditional homes.

Good photos and well chosen texts to interpret the collection.

Address: 107, derb el cadi , Azbest. Epices' place. Marrakesh- Morocco.

Rugs to richesse Exhibition/ Cavin-Morris Gallery.

Rags to Richesse is an exhibition about culture renewing itself. In communities where nomadic life and herding is being exchanged for processed farming, original materials like wool are becoming scarcer, and the concept of recycling becomes a paramount mode of survival.

Boucherouite refers to a form of rag from rural areas of Morocco created from wool, cotton, synthetic fibers, Lurex, Nylon and plastic.  Changes to these materials began in the 1960's and 70's.  What is especially unique about them is the wild poetry of their compositions; they are part of and beyond a tradition from no one region.  Thus, the rugs are woven in a creative, improvisatory style by the weavers whose choice of colors and textures gives the rugs the feeling of painting.  They are a new cultural form created from necessity meeting personal aesthetics.

The world is naturally postmodern, however, the supreme intention of these artists is utilitarian.  In a very odd way, these pieces are a liberation from tradition, while at the same time that they uphold it.  But there are no rules, and there is no way to look at a rug, and pinpoint exactly where it comes from.  They are Pan-Moroccan.

There is a quiet but very important side bar to these rugs, as well.  They are made by women. They are a declaration of creative freedom by Amazigh women. They are personal visions of inner and outer gender topography uncapped by male participation.  They are wordless and soundless and inchoate. Yet they are visually musical.  They have rhythms and anti rhythms, syncopation and improvisation dictating abstract moods by the saw-edged mixtures of colors.  They are inner landscapes. They unpack the essences of female Place.

Cavin-Morris is pleased to introduce these to the New York art community in collaboration with Gebhart Blazek.

Berber rugs in Museums of Early Art

Art is not only for painters and sculptors; many tribal objects evoke our senses, and can be considered as works of art, the Museum of Early Art in Paris has created new perspectives for these amateurs of tribal art, in which symbolism, graphics and range of colour bring out their universal value of beauty.

 It is fascinating to state how the strong and sublime graphics of these Berbere carpets and rugs has inspired many modern artists. It will always be astounding to notice the same notes that run through Berbere carpets apparent in the works of KANDINSKY, KLEE, MONDRIAN, POLLOCK, or   many other abstract artists.

It is for many reasons that we have fallen in love with these boucharouettes and we wish to contribute to their discovery by amateur collectors.

We do our modest part in the knowledge that these woven works of art have been recognised by specialists, gallery owners and museum curators. 

Recent Exhibitions: 

GALERIE THANAKRA – PARIS – expo 2006 et 2009
BLAZEL GALLERY – GRAZ Autriche – Mai 2010
CAVIN-MORRIS GALLERY – NEW YORK – expo Mai-Juillet 2010