Weaving Cultural Identities | Vancouver Biennale
It's no secret we are BIG fashion nerds here at DaisyCode, for me that fascination extends to the production of fabric, its history and evolution around the world. Weaving and textile arts are the universal media that often transcends time, space, and language - many textile designs have a unique ability to connect communities through the choice of materials, patterns, and landmarks.
Threads Through Time (2019) is no exception. A special Vancouver Biennale project, Threads Through Time is a massive prayer rug that simultaneously stretches back in history for Indigenous and Islamic traditional techniques and into the future to answer questions like how do we share sacred space in our global society?
At the core of Threads Through Time there are six renowned Coast Salish weavers respectively representing the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), collaborating for the first time in 200 years to discuss with each other and the public about the ways this land has been colonized, shared and divided. Through these reflections, the weavers, Debra Sparrow, Robyn Sparrow, Chief Janice and Buddy Joseph, Krista Point and Angela George, have created five unique panels, channeling the voices of their ancestors and their experience of the land. As a manifestation of the intercommunity exchange, a team of jacquard weavers, Ruth Scheuing and Mary Lou Trinkwon, and designer Doaa Jamal, have worked to create a large border to house these panels, which also honor the Muslim migrant experiences through a woven segment.
Last week Threads Through Time was installed in Vanier Park’s Paradise Has Many Gates, a sculpture designed in the architectural form of an Islamic mosque, created by Saudi Arabian artist Ajlan Gharem, as part of the 2018-2020 “re-IMAGE-n” Vancouver Biennale. To welcome the 31 x 15 ft rug, the day kicked off with a First Nations drum procession proceeding the weavers carrying the textile from the MOV to the awaiting members of the Islamic community in the chain-link mosque.
The marriage of these two artifacts ignite an undeniable potency as fences become increasingly polarized in our political climate. In a world of refugee crises and mass migration, the chain-link mosque invites us to see the role of fences as physical and psychological deterrents while the activities around Threads Through Time create an unexpected, vulnerable transparency.
Throughout the evening, the public was invited to take off their shoes and experience Threads Through Time for themselves. Guests filled the space for prayer, conversation and cloud gazing as music from outside the mosque, include Red Fox Drum Group (powwow drums), Nori Akagi (Japanese drums) and Breaking Boundaries (Cumbia and Vallenato band) drifted in.
Looking around with my butt firmly pressed into a precious piece of Vancouver’s contemporary identity, I couldn’t help but marvel at the vibrant collective of perspectives, ethnicities, histories and orientations. It was a real life coca-cola ad, but instead of sugar and empty calories, I was filled with unbridled optimism, perhaps something even more dangerous.
Engaging in the arts brings individuals together to foster community. Art and artists aren't limited to galleries or museums - each one of us has the ability to imagine and create ways to strengthen or improve our neighbourhood. Organizations such as the Vancouver Biennale are an important resource on a journey towards building stronger connections. Opportunities for more even-footed conversation among groups yields insight and a shared sense of community, and in turn lay the foundation to explore ways to maintain critical cultural traditions while inviting community investment.
According to founder Barrie Mowatt, The fourth edition of the Vancouver Biennale titled “re-IMAGE-n” will run until 2020, international artist lead projects unfolding around prevailing issues of our time, including the widespread refugee and migrant crisis, a global shift towards nationalism and isolationism, and an intensifying drain on our shared natural resources will be freely accessible throughout Vancouver. Projects “re-IMAGE-n” (reimagine) a progressive framework to support “free speech, Reconciliation and the rights of First Nations, LGBTQ rights, artistic freedom, gender, racial and sexual equality, ecological awareness, religious freedom, and the ethics of biotechnology”. Check out their listings on Facebook or on their website to be aware of the many events and opportunities to engage in the arts. Whether you react, produce, or take a stand, you have a role to play.
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