Threads unite us, Alighiero Boetti, the Italian artist who worked with Afghan craftspeople in the '70s developing with local craftswomen his embroidered maps, knew it very well.
But threads can be used also in a structural way, to build not just connections with people, but to weave an architectural narrative, as proved by "Bengali Song" by Arinjoy Sen, a Kolkata-born, London-based not-yet-qualified architect. The work is currently on display in the Arsenale spaces at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice (until 26th November 2023).
This embroidered triptych, incorporating digital drawings interpreted through artisanal practices, such as traditional kantha embroidery executed by female artisans from the SHE Kantha collective in Bengal, India, has been produced with the additional support of the African Futures Institute, under the direction of architectural academic, educator, and novelist Lesley Lokko, the curator of this year's biennale.
The tapestry centers around the theme of planetary survival, emphasizing the importance of fostering respect among diverse ecologies and peoples. Through its experiential, technical, and creative aspects, the triptych delves into the exploration of this year's biennale theme, "The Laboratory of the Future". Despite its evocative and poetic title that evokes legends and fables, the intricate woven artwork portrays indeed a flood-proof home.
The left panel showcases the Khudi Bari (Little House) project by Marina Tabassum Architects, presenting a resilient typology of low-cost shelters specifically designed for Bangladesh's vulnerable coastal floodplains.
The Khudi Bari typology raises the living plane while allowing for quick assembly and disassembly, facilitating the mitigation of household flooding and enabling easy relocation to higher ground.
The right panel illustrates the implementation of this typology in Cox's Bazar refugee camp, providing an economical and efficient living space that meets the temporary structural requirements of the camp.
Meanwhile, the central panel celebrates the narrative production, construction, and reinforcement of communal and ecological relationships based on deep and mutual respect. All three panels depict vibrant scenes of activity, with men and women engaged in constructing shelters, cooking, and handling materials.
The embroidered images evoke a sense of ancestral times when people lived in harmony with nature. However, a significant element in the first panel, namely a classic monobloc chair of the stackable polypropylene type, widely recognized as the world's most common plastic chair, firmly situates the scenes in our modern era.
Inspired by the numerous hands involved in the creation of Khudi Bari, Sen gives voice through this tapestry to marginalized peoples who, conceptually and physically shape their own narrative.
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