As seen in a previous post, the art of tapestry goes beyond using ordinary threads and yarns. It is indeed possible to skillfully incorporate different materials in a piece "to weave" a compelling narrative.
Take the project "Debris of History, Matters of Memory" on display in the Arsenale space at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice (until 26th November 2023): the installation - by Brazilian-Paraguayan architect Gloria Cabral and Congolese artist Sammy Baloji, in collaboration with Martinique-born Franco-American art historian Cécile Fromont - consists in a panel, a multi-faced brick structure that can be interpreted as a monument to colonial extraction.
While seen from the front the partition looks flat, the wall has actually got a three-dimensional quality about it: the materials employed were indeed used to create a structure characterized by origami folds.
Besides, the wall incorporates fragmented bricks and vibrant shards of glass and geometric motifs decorate its surface. The partition can therefore be seen as an architectural version of a crafted piece of needlework.
Yet, this is no fancy embroidery: the wall is actually a monument reminding visitors of colonial exploitation, coerced displacement, and the debris of empires. The structure is indeed an aggregate of demolition waste, discarded construction materials and bricks from Brussels, the Belgian capital, itself constructed upon the ruthless exploitation of the Congo.
The interwoven decorative motifs of the structure evoke the architectural textiles found in the historical kingdom of Kongo, as well as their counterparts from Indigenous communities in Brazil.
So, the erected wall, adorned with its intricate motifs, serves as a profound testament to the significance of debris and the remarkable potential of patterns in shaping not only architectural landscapes but also historical narratives and social constructs.
On a wall adjacent to the structure, images explain the genesis of this structure: a meticulously reproduced 17th-century map delineates the coastal regions of Africa and Brazil, tracing the historical routes of salve trade; a slave-trading ship's logbook (from 1786-87) serves as a haunting testimony to the harrowing journeys endured by countless individuals, their lives reduced to mere entries on parchment, while a fragment of woven raffia luxury cloth from the 17th century by an unknown Kongo artist (from Stockholm's Världskulturmuseet - The Museum of World Culture) showcases the artistry of highly skilled craftsmen.
The installation was conceived in collaboration with art historian Cécile Fromont; Cabral and Baloji share an interest with her for studies about the "Tenture des Indes". Currently preserved at Villa Medici in Rome, the "Tapestry of the Indies" was woven by the Royal Manufacture of Gobelins, and sent in 1726 by order of King Louis XV to the French Academy in Rome to adorn the noble floor of its former headquarters located at Palazzo Mancini on Via del Corso (a reproduction of one section of the tapestry is on display in the Arsenale as part of the "Debris of History" installation).
The tapestries were supposed to serve as a visual foundation of the territory of Brazil, a former Dutch and Portuguese colony, and were based on paintings by Albert Eckhout and Frans Post.
Tasked with meticulously documenting the territory and offering glimpses into the diverse landscapes that defined the region, the tapestries ended up including motifs evoking colonial exploitation (plows, sugarcane, water mills, churches...), raising several questions from the perspective of current debates surrounding issues of racism, the labor of African slaves and colonialism.
Like the "Tapestry of the Indies", "Debris of History" invites us therefore to delve into the multifaceted layers of the past and confront the uncomfortable truths of history, urging us to explore the profound impact of global capitalism and reckon with the indelible social scars left by colonialism and the slave trade.
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