Rebuilding
an interactive public artwork by Cazimi
presented at Diverse Voices: Building Community Through Arts & Conversation, 2023
What did we do?
We co-created with those attending the Juneteenth event, Diverse Voices: Building Community Through Arts and Conversation, an interactive public artwork entitled, Rebuilding.
We wove a tapestry of various colored squares and rectangles using short lengths of yarn and crocheted small vessels to hold the loosed threads of yarn. This served as the collective starting point.
The interaction occurred in two parts, deconstruction and rebuilding. Through the act of
physically removing a thread from the tapestry and placing it in one of the vessels, co-creator participants were asked to consider structures and ways they could change what is no longer working. During the rebuilding phase, co-creators were invited to choose a thread
that had been removed and re-weave in into the tapestry wherever they chose while
considering the ways each of us can contribute to a new way of being in community together.
At the close of the event, a new tapestry had been woven together, thoughtfully.
Why did we do it?
The creative process allows us to explore an idea, construct or question from various perspectives, inevitably leading us to an expanded understanding. The art we conceive reflects
our inquiry. Central to our art-making is a deep desire to create conversation, contemplation and invite interaction that encourages people to challenge or reconsider their own ideas and see from other perspectives. We believe art has an important voice in community building, reimagining and repair.
How did we do it?
Using a wide array of fibers from fuzzy to smooth, natural and synthetic of varying denier and lengths, we wove a tapestry of assorted squares and rectangles and crocheted vessels to hold the loosed threads. This tapestry of boxes served as the starting point for this interactive community art project.
Both visual graphics and conversation invited participation in this co-creative artwork. People were initially startled by the sign, “DO TOUCH” and were hesitant to undo the tapestry. They approached the un-weaving with care and intention. They were surprised that loosening a thread was not always easy. Some requested to keep the thread they removed as a reminder of their contemplation and participation. The process of rebuilding, or reweaving, was approached with care and intention. At the close of the event, a new tapestry had been co-created.
Activities
Construction
May & June, 2023
Diverse Voices Event
June 17, 2023