weaving Voices 01.04.2025 issuu - Flipbook - Page 39
with students can broaden their perspective and potentially spark
excitement by revealing the extensive social, economic, and
environmental influences that weaving has had on the world.
The approach of my Dutch Weaving Voices colleague Nina van
Hartskamp also deserves acknowledgement as it diverges from mine,
and brought new colours and ideas to the table, both figuratively and
literally. Her use of naturally dyed yarns and cloths left a significant
impression on the Weaving Voices group. The environmental and
communal practice of printing and colouring with plants, became
an integral part of the Weaving Voices ‘toolkit’ and was actively
practised in Amsterdam, Sweden and Hungary. Nina van Hartskamps’
weavings, incorporating materials ranging from dried sticks to found
metal parts of bed frames, were showcased in our shared living
spaces for everyone to appreciate. Her method influenced other
members, particularly in Sweden, where a strong connection to
nature was encouraged by the outdoor environment.
Weaving and singing in harmony
It wasn’t until the third Weaving Voices project week in Amsterdam
(April 2023), which Nina van Hartskamp and I organised, and centred
around visual, tactile, and storytelling practices, that the integration
of singing and weaving truly came together organically, mutually
reinforcing and empowering each other. The prelude involved a
pattern singing workshop led by guest teacher and Dutch artist
Liza Prins, who created for the occasion small books with weaving
patterns: a language that resembles musical scores. Led by Liza
Prins, the group explored different methods of vocalising these
patterns and conducted vocal experiments based on a piece of
fabric I had woven in the past. Prior to the workshop, I presented a
just published 10-minute summary of the documentary The Woven
Sounds by Mehdi Aminian58 (2023), showcasing Iranian weavers who
communicate the arrangement of colour of their patterns to each
other through ‘singing dialogues’ in a call-and-response style.
Both experiences served as a crucial foundation for the subsequent
weaving and singing, which wasn’t initially planned but evolved
organically. As we collectively worked on a standing frame with
a warp on both sides, one side of the loom was dedicated to
a ‘freestyle weave’ where creativity knew no bounds (with the
agreement of being mindful and respectful of others’ work). On the
other side, we committed to a tapestry weave — a more systematic
approach involving flat weaving of four lines (one under, one over),
followed by knotting two rows. This technique is reminiscent of the
handwoven process seen in many carpets, including the well-known
Amazigh (also known as Berber) carpets. Inspired by the Iranian
singers, our endeavours in pattern singing, the inviting space, the
naturally coloured wool yarns, and, of course, the collective weaving
process, we drew from the melody of the Georgian song Khert’lis
Naduri that Laurent Stéphan had previously taught us. Instead of
chanting the Georgian words, we improvised our own lyrics on the
melody, based on what was happening in the moment, often in
relation to the weaving.
58 ‘The Woven Sounds’ - Demo - A Documentary by Mehdi Aminian (2018) YouTube. Available at: https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=5iS1GixOCL4 [Accessed 17 September 2024].
76
77
39
