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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 fragment undergoes over the course of these years...
...and on we go...
...with Ksynia Marko
Threads through time
What are we looking at and what can we see?
My name is Ksynia Marko and I have been a textile conservator for over 50 years and I have worked on an amazing variety of textiles, from woven tapestries produced in Europe to early Italian velvets and of course carpets. One of my first jobs when I joined the Victoria & Albert Museum in the early 1970’s was to be part of the team working on the fabulous 16thc Ardabil carpet. This was an introduction to a different culture I knew very little about. I began to look at carpets depicted in paintings, evidence of the cross-cultural element in European Art. Part of my job has been focused on sharing my love for, and care of, historic carpets. People are often surprised how one carpet can differ so much from another. Apart from the variety of design, the yarns used for both the base structure and the pile, knot type, and range of colours all have an impact on our visual and tactile senses. I encourage people to look closely at, and observe the woven pattern and structure, to ask questions and not assume. This can take time and patience.
Our perception
Carpets might be described as ‘horizontal works of art’ but those seen in historic properties are often overlooked by visitors simply because they are underfoot and often obscured by other objects and furnishings. When carpets are displayed in museums, we see them differently as they are often displayed on plinths or hung vertically. We see the detail and visual impact they have, more akin to a painting, therefore we appreciate them more as works of art. The carpet remains the same. It is we who must shift our perception. Threads through time have stories to tell and we can all be part of that story.
The journey begins...
...with Weissensee School of Art Berlin
In collaboration with the Berlin Museum for Islamic Art, students from the 4th semester of the Textile and Surface Design department worked on their own interpretations of the Caucasian Dragon Carpet during the summer semester of 2023.
The Weissensee School of Art Berlin is a renowned institution for art and design, known for its creative diversity and innovative approach.
Under the guidance of lecturer Christina Klessmann and workshop manager Anne Hederer, the group of international students experimented with combinations of classical weaving patterns and carpet techniques in the seminar.
At the beginning of the semester, excursions took us to the Museum for Islamic Art, the carpet restoration workshop at the Archaeological Center, and the Berlin carpet producer Rugstar by Jürgen Dahlmanns, where we could observe the original and the reinterpretation of the Caucasian Dragon Carpet.
With great passion, Jürgen Dahlmanns provided us insights into the world of carpets, and the restorer and curator Anna Beselin introduced us to various carpet knotting techniques using selected historical exhibits from the carpet collection. After this input, students, enriching the topic with their diverse cultural backgrounds, worked in the art school's weaving workshop.
In addition to teaching the basic shaft weaving bindings, this course explored other fundamental carpet techniques such as knotting, looping, Soumak, pile weaving, and tapestry and kilim techniques. Aspects related to the theme of the Caucasian Dragon Carpet, such as ornamentation, color schemes, Western and Eastern carpet techniques, wear and tear, and destruction, were explored within the group and incorporated into the design of the fabric samples.
Various, highly personal design approaches emerged, expressing themselves through the interplay of different colors, patterns, materials, cultural backgrounds, and the personal experiences of the students.
Students: Lea Binder, Seongeun Cho, Sophia Engel, Xiaotong Fu, Laura Gaspari, Maja Kristin Harden, Yi Jin, Min Joo Kim, Eunpyo Lee, Rikarda Raudonikyte, Zäzilie Schilling, Jeewhan Shin, Dalma Stift, Lydia Strong.
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.
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?
