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This fragment is part of the "CulturalxCollabs - Weaving the Future" carpet.
Through the fragment we trace the journey of the fragment owners and their collabs as they explore, experiment and creatively advance socially relevant themes. Here is the fragment as we are sending it on this three and a half-year journey.
Follow this story to observe the transformations the fragement undergoes over the course of these years...
...and on we go...
...with Sciamarella Nesta | Kalista Kreation
The Journey of Fragment #28
On 25 June 2026, I received Fragment #28 of the Dragon Tapestry. Immediately upon its arrival, I decided to regard it not merely as a fragment around which I was to create a work, but as an object that carries a story within it and is destined to continue its journey.
For three months, the fragment was by my side, becoming part of my daily life and accompanying me through a particularly eventful phase of my artistic career. It first found its place in my gallery in Rosny-sous-Bois, where it was on public display for several weeks before my studio closed for good.
It then accompanied me to various places and on my travels. In Algeria, its journey began in Béjaïa, where I took it, amongst other places, to Yemma Gouraya, one of the iconic sites overlooking the city. It also found a home at the Béjaïa Cultural Centre; its presence provided an opportunity to discuss its history, its journey and the project. At every stage, I wanted to capture its presence through photography.
This journey has gradually enriched my reflections.
As I discovered the fragment in a wide variety of settings, I sought a way to continue its story from my own perspective, whilst at the same time establishing a connection to my own artistic universe, which is deeply linked to Algeria and the transmission of its cultural heritage.
On 23 September, after a journey of almost three months, I returned Fragment No. 28 to the museum. This marked a new stage in its history, and this experience leaves behind the images of its journey as well as the work I have conceived around the fragment. The fragment continued its journey to Algiers, where it visited several symbolic sites in the capital: the Maqam Echahid (Martyrs’ Memorial), Notre-Dame d’Afrique and, finally, the Great Mosque of Algiers – all very different places which, in their own way, tell the story of the city’s history, architecture and cultural heritage.
Its journey then took it on to Quiberon in Brittany, where I spent some time at the ‘Maison des Viviers’ at the Pointe du Goulvars. The house was built around 1910 by a fishmonger to accommodate the caretaker who looked after the fish and shellfish ponds laid out on the foreshore; it remains a testament to the peninsula’s maritime heritage to this day. At low tide, some of these old stone tanks can still be seen. Overlooking the ocean and surrounded by rocks, the ‘Maison des Viviers’ has also become a frequently painted subject over the years. Thus, Fragment #28 accompanied me during my stay at this historic site before continuing on its own way.
The work – ‘Weaving the Future’
After almost three months with Fragment #28 – during which I took it with me on my travels, observed it and reflected on how I might continue its story through my own universe – I finally created the work ‘Weaving the Future’. It came about right at the very end of this experiment, the day before I had to return the fragment. The time we spent together allowed my thoughts to mature before I found the form of expression that truly gives meaning to my contribution.
In this work, I made a conscious decision to establish a connection between the fragment of the dragon carpet and Algeria, which lies at the heart of my artistic practice.
So I integrated the fragment into a traditional loom – a symbol of ancient craftsmanship passed down from generation to generation. This choice reflects the history of the dragon carpet itself: an antique piece that embodies a heritage and a craft that have stood the test of time. By bringing together these two elements from different histories and cultures, I sought to express what unites them: the act of passing on, the gesture, the memory, and the ability of a heritage to live on.
In the picture, the carpet appears complete. The loom, however, suggests that it could continue. The threads are still there: One could take up the gesture again, continue the pattern, carry on weaving and allow what already exists to grow.
This idea gives the title ‘Weaving the Future’ its full meaning. For me, passing on a heritage does not merely mean preserving the past. It also means embracing it, bringing it to life in the present and enabling it to continue into the future.
The work thus ties in directly with the theme of the exhibition ‘Weaving the Future’, which is planned for June 2027 at the Museum for Islamic Art in Berlin: building on what has been handed down to us in order to continue writing, shaping and weaving what comes after us.
...THE JOURNEY CONTINUES...
...with Peter Roe
The Jawbone Collective adopted as it's logo the skull of a 'Water Dragon' or Icthyosaurus... We are based in an area of world renown, Dorset's Jurassic Coast, famous for its dinosaur fossils. Within ten miles of where I sit is the town of Axminster, famous throughout the world for its carpets. The Roman Mosaics that are in our Museums are again floor coverings from a different era, many incomplete, showing the growth of civilisation and the influence of progress in the missing spaces. These are the starting points for our creatives. We hope to inspire creatives to weave words into performance and written pieces that we can share with the project and the world.
Peter Roe recites his self-written poem "Carpet Divining".
Carpet Divining
Peter Roe recites his self-written poem "Draconis Tapetum - Dragon's Carpet".
Draconis Tapetum - Dragon’s Carpet
...AND ON WE GO...
...with Devashree Vyas
Growing up in Mumbai, India, cultural diversity has been an innate part of my life, and food has been a profound expression of this cultural diversity, no matter where life has led me. From lunch boxes of friends that told stories of their native places, to being an immigrant in Germany today and seeking both - the taste of home and the adventures of a world I am exploring, food memories are integral to my own identity. When the fragment #28 came home, it became the warmest inspiration. I sought recipes from grandparents, cooked for and with friends, even created new recipes as part of a cultural festival, and built new bonds with new neighbours, all over food. I know the fragment will leave me soon, but I am grateful I had the chance to build a new saga of food memories with it.
Food Memories
Living alone in Germany for the most part for these years, my relationship with food grew; food was not solely what I consumed, it became a linking fabric to my memories of home.
All of these photos symbolise the time when I cooked with my grandparents and learned family recipes...
... and when I made my departed grandmother’s favourite meal, “dal dhokli”
When my mother-in-law taught me to make a traditional recipe from Odisha, India
... and when we collaborated for food prep and then diverged to create different meals altogether
When we celebrated nine days of the Indian festival of Navratri (translations: nine nights)
... developing nine new recipes for cake, one for in each colour symbolizing the nine nights, the nine Matas.
Navratri (Part II)
And, now, when this little fragment inspired collaborations outside of my immediate family;
...Sholeh Zard from my Iranian neighbour and Seb Kheer from me.
The journey begins...
...with Krishnakumar Rana of Cottbusbeats
Indian fusion dance in Cottbus
For me, dance transcends borders.
Collaborating with people and music from diverse cultures and experimenting with dance styles from around the world, makes me feel deeply connected to the richness of our shared experiences.
Passion fuels every step, and our movement to the beat and rhythm of music becomes a celebration of our collective journey.
I am forever grateful to be part of this amazing project, which gave us the opportunity to take our fusion dancing to the next level at the CulturalxCollabs opening event at the museum island in Berlin.
Cottbus Beats at Pergamon Museum!
Front and Back
About the Project
The Museum for Islamic Art's project, #CulturalxCollabs - Weaving the future, celebrates the transformative power of cultural exchange and the shared threads that unite us all. All the things we love, have loved and will ever love come from cultural exchange, migration and diversity, or as we like to call it #CulturalxCollabs.
100 carpet fragments, cut from a replica of the iconic dragon carpet, will travel the world (delivered by DHL). The fragments will ignite #CulturalxCollabs with co-creators, inspiring human ingenuity, fostering community and ultimately demonstrating how cultural exchange enriches all our lives.
Follow #CulturalxCollabs on Instagram as the project unfolds...
...or learn more here
Weaving the Future
Join us on a journey with 100 carpet fragments as they travel around the world for three and a half years, finding temporary homes while bridging cultural boundaries, fostering worldwide community united by the power of human stories.
Fragment Journeys
100 carpet fragments part of the "CulturalxCollabs - Weaving the Future" project. Follow their journeys through the ever changing owners' over three and a half years.
Creating a carpet
A 17th-century Caucasian carpet, burned by an incendiary bomb during the Second World War, serves as the model for a replica, woven in 2022 by a family in Rajasthan, India. Over 2.3 million knots later, it is being sent out into the world in 100 fragments. This is the story of how it came to be.
Where is the Dragon?
The star of the "CulturalxCollabs - Weaving the Future" project is a so-called Caucasian dragon carpet from the 17th century. A dragon carpet - all well and good - but: where is the dragon?
