If Volkswagen’s Touareg SUV is all that comes to mind at
the mention of the Tuareg people, a visit to the Fowler Museum at
UCLA is in order.
“Art of Being Tuareg,” the Fowler’s latest
exhibition, opened Sunday and will be on display until Feb. 25,
2007, giving UCLA students and museumgoers a peek into the many
layers of Tuareg life.
And what a life it is. The Tuareg, who are descendents of the
Berbers in North Africa, are a semi-nomadic people that are in
transit six months of the year. Often called “the blue people
of the Sahara” because the indigo dye of their traditional
head wraps rubs off onto their skin, the Tuareg have been
exoticized to the point that outsiders overlook their
modernity.
Thomas K. Seligman, the exhibit’s curator, believes that
the multimedia exhibition has the power to dispel the old myths and
misunderstandings that so many people have developed about the
Tuareg.
“They are not fixed in some forgotten moment of the past;
the Tuareg are people of the present,” Seligman said.
“They’re statistically poor in dollar terms, but that
doesn’t make the Tuareg unresponsive or uninvolved with
modern concerns.”
Case in point: when crossing the Sahara Desert, the Tuareg ride
atop white camels ““ and sometimes in 4×4 trucks.
Not only are the Tuareg embracing modern technologies, but
according to Seligman, they are also active contributors to various
world markets, particularly the industries of fashion and
jewelry.
Hermès, a Parisian luxury boutique, has commissioned Tuareg
artisans for years, getting designs for their $350 silk scarves.
Other fashion designers have taken notice of the designs,
catapulting the Tuareg into the modern world market.
“What’s happened is that the Tuareg have recognized
that there is a market beyond their community, but then because of
the nature of globalization, Tuareg jewelry has been produced by
others outside of the Tuareg at a lesser cost and often a lesser
level of quality,” said Marla Berns, director of the Fowler
Museum.
Despite the proliferation of Tuareg imitation products, UCLA
students now have the chance to see authentic Tuareg artworks at
the Fowler exhibit.
“Art of Being Tuareg” presents the inherent riches
that fill Tuareg life. From vibrant burgundy and teal leather bags
decorated with intricate patterns, to ornately designed silver
amulets, every piece is breathtaking.
What’s more important than their obvious beauty is that
these objects are real, practical items used in Tuareg life.
Everything has both artistic and practical value, down to the poles
that support their leather tents.
Lauren McCutcheon, a fourth-year history student who works for
the Fowler’s collections department, was blown away by the
detail and care that go into each piece.
“Amidst the deserted Sahara, they found a way to bring
beautiful art along with them in their caravans,” McCutcheon
said. “The Tuareg turn things they need into beautiful works
of art.”
“Some art that we have doesn’t come with a face or
voice anymore,” she added. “This exhibit shows the
vibrant today and future of the Tuareg. It’s not that they
reject their traditions or ceremonial ways of dress ““
they’ve adapted them to exist in the modern world.
We’re not used to seeing that.”
The exhibit begins in a small room filled with portraits and
poetry of Tuareg people. A modern boutique is recreated in the next
room, showcasing silver purse closures, belt buckles and jewelry in
glass cases alongside silk Hermès scarves.
The progression of the galleries leads visitors back in time
with a stop at a simulated Tuareg metal workshop and leather tent
along the way.
The last galleries are among Seligman’s favorites. They
hold the rarer, older metal and leather Tuareg pieces borrowed from
the Quai Branly Museum of France and from Switzerland’s
Neuchâtel Museum of Ethnography.
The Tuareg continue to astound other cultures with their
artistic mastery and their stamina in one of the world’s
harshest environments. The challenging ruggedness of their
lifestyle is channeled into their art, and in turn their art has
become vitally important to their economic survival.
“The Tuareg are struggling with a variety of difficult
issues, and it’s not that we need to be empathetic ““ we
need to learn from them,” Seligman said. “And they can
learn from us.”