InterWoven Practices
2023
InterWoven Practices was held as a two part workshop between Istanbul and Kahramanmaraş structured to integrate collective learning, making and weaving focusing on material interaction and collaboration. We directly engaged and involved locals, especially women and children, from two sites in the Kahramanmaraş area, most specifically Sümer Mahallesi. This area was heavily affected by the February, 6 earthquakes 2023. The participants explored the multilayered relationships between textiles, themselves, the local community and the Sümer Space building that was constructed as part of Herkes İçin Mimarlık's post-disaster reconstruction plan. Questions around community building and collective learning as well as the value of textiles and waste were raised. We collected offcuts, surplus textiles and unwanted, damaged or defective fabrics from a number of sources. This included from our own wardrobes, industrial facilities in the Kahramanmaraş area and smaller workshops from around Istanbul.
The workshop was designed and organised in collaboration with Sam Price and Ela Gök. It was run in partnership with Kaf Kolektif and Herkes İçin Mimarlık. Insights of the workshop were presentat as part of an exhibition at the Architecture Faculty of İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi in October/November 2023.
InterWoven Practices, workshop, Kahramanmaraş 2023.
InterWoven Practices, workshop, learning the basics of weaving, Istanbul 2023.
reflections on offcuts, surplus textiles and unwanted, damaged or defective fabrics, Istanbul 2023.
InterWoven Practices, workshop, design and crafting of looms, Istanbul 2023.
InterWoven Practices, workshop, collective discussions, Istanbul 2023.
InterWoven Practices, workshop, Kahramanmaraş 2023.
InterWoven Practices, workshop, community weaving in public space, Kahramanmaraş 2023.
InterWoven Practices, workshop, community space weaving, Kahramanmaraş 2023.
Weaving was a manual craft,
the craft of forming fabric by repeatedly InterLacing threads,
or more broadly speaking the act of making something
by Connecting pieces at right angles;
but let’s not focus on things,
let’s focus on relations.
Isn’t “to Weave” always to “InterWeave”?
We InterWeave with one another and with experiences.
We are InterWoven when we express a talent or skill that was transmitted to us.
We can see their hands in ours. We experience profound Connection.
How does one ReConnect after destruction?
Post-disaster reconstruction. Post-disaster ReConnection.
Connections are not given, they need to be built.
And then?
Does one care differently for a space than for one another?
What is the difference then?”