As we move along the Artist-Community Synergies, we invite you to delve inside the creative universe meticulously woven by artists and communities. Along with and despite the distance imposed by covid-related restrictions, artists and communities have been able to connect, exchange and have started producing invaluable ‘fruits’ out of their collaboration. Dive into their process!

Inês Neto dos Santos & SEN Heritage Looms

Combining new experiments and research around textile traditions, fully driven by the fascinating research of SEN director Sophia Tsourinaki, I have come to discover many similarities between food fermentation and hellenistic textile traditions of dyeing and symbolic pattern. Having committed to producing a quilt as a result of this project, I have also noticed the collaborative, waste-saving and knowledge-sharing culture around quilting to relate very closely to how fermentation is embedded in human culture. I have once again been reminded that fermentation is a slow, natural process that can’t be rushed, and it requires attentive listening. See more from the creative process

Maria Juliana Byck & Roma Community Aliveri

In the first two weeks we shared textile memories, discussed Roma fashion and creative reuse traditions. All the women are interested and want to express things from their lives and culture. They keep asking— “Are we going to create something with our hands?” but they don’t have equipment in their houses or technology to meet online, so we are getting to know each other by sharing stories and images. A potential final project that brings together these women and shares their experiences, despite technical, geographical and cultural barriers amplified by the global pandemic, is slowly beginning to take form. See more from the creative process 

Mina Kouvara & FEX Xanthi

With the help of FEX researchers, I have been trying to solve the mystery behind the aprons of the local traditional costumes. The colours, the patterns and the symbols, all have something to say about the Woven Women of Thrace and their life journey through the three rites of passage! More information and inspiration here.
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Konstantinos Gkarametsis & Rizarios Crafting School

During the first two weeks we had the opportunity with the students of Rizarios Crafting School of Monodendri to discover the techniques and the methodology that we follow as craftspeople and artists. We explored the techniques of creating rugs and woven textiles while at the same time we made digital grids and started working on new designs inspired by traditional patterns and computer aesthetics. The students, Vicky Pavlou, Asimina Tsampala, Nikoleta Tziompou, started to weave the designs on the loom while I started in parallel to translate them into HTML and CSS code. See more from the creative process

Maria Varela & ‘Bezi’ Metsovo

Throughout our online meetings and chatting in order to meet each other, we shared stories and took the time to embrace the idea of togetherness.  So far, I have studied the wrap color palette and have decoded Metsovo’s color matching systems in order to understand their unique visual culture. I have also studied the weaving motifs and have recorded them in a weaving chart decoding threading, tie-up, treadling and final drawdown.
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