Memory of Indigo - 2006

Fifteen years ago, I knew very little about indigo and its history but this color was intuitively present in my work. I remember that I had no answer to give to the art critic, Michel Nuridsany, when he asked me “why the blue color?” Nevertheless, my response was spontaneous when I told him: “not blue, but indigo”.

Michel’s question and the insistent presence of this color led me to look further in order to understand the importance of indigo in my artistic world. One day, as I was reading a book published by the British Museum on the occasion of an exhibition on Palestinian costumes, I discovered that indigo was the first color of Palestine. It is true that most of the traditional Palestinian dresses were dyed in dark indigo, but that phrase brought back hidden memories of the house where I was born in Palestine: the walls, painted in lime, had an indigo line in every room, and the portrait of my uncle which had pride of place in the living room was painted in an indigo monochrome.

“Memory of Indigo" is a celebration that I have deeply shared with musicians, dancers, a choreographer, craftspeople, historians, and many others who have a passion for indigo.

The project was due to happen in Bethlehem in the year 2000; it didn’t then just as it didn’t take place a few years later in Aleppo. It finally landed in Hyderabad in India during the Symposium on natural dyes organized by UNESCO and the Crafts Council of India held from 6 to 12 November 2006. Discussions are on their way to present it in other cities.

The work consists of a wooden structure in the form of an inclined disk of 20 meters in diameter, extended by a staircase rising to a total height of 9 meters. This monumental structure served as a stage for a performance that gave a festive image of the work of the natural indigo dyers. Indian dancers and musicians recalled this craft world where happiness and creation often mix. During the day, the rehearsals took place in front of a curious audience; in the evening, the 45 minute performances attracted informed spectators who thrilled to the sounds of the drums, the voices, the flute and to the movements of the of the white and indigo fabrics.

 - Nasser Soumi