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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...
What is SAWA Museum Studies Program?
SAWA Museum Studies Program is a practical museological Arab-German program that acknowledges differences and commonalities to inspire innovative museum practices. It serves as a platform for knowledge sharing and networking for emerging museum practitioners. In Arabic سوا – SAWA means together. This name was chosen to shed light on the collaborative nature of this Museum Studies Program. It is designed to bring together facilitators and participants in equal parts from Arabic-speaking countries and Europe, creating a diverse and inclusive learning space. Each module is led by a team of two museum experts, one from the UAE and one from Europe, providing a range of expertise and perspectives. Every year a new group of early-career museum enthusiasts are selected with equal representation from the MENA region and Europe.
...and on we go...
...with Emilia Sánchez González
CulturalxCollabs Diary Entry
From the beginning, the SAWA Museum Studies program demonstrated to us the value of connecting with emerging professionals across countries and disciplines to collaborate on the future of museum work. I participated in the program in 2023, and Ezzeldin was selected for the 2024 cohort, while I continued at SAWA as an assistant. We discussed social museum practices, diversifying collections and their interpretation, and toured multiple cultural spaces in Germany and the UAE.
Fragment #99 was displayed when we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the program with the “SAWA: A Decade of Cross-Cultural Museum Learning" Conference hosted by the Sharjah Museums Authority. And after the event, I asked to be the next recipient of the fragment at my new home in Luxembourg. Doing my PhD in history (specifically history of exhibitions and of one photography exhibition in particular, "The Family of Man"), I figured there would be plenty of chances for the carpet to be a catalyst for discussions and collaboration.
This chance presented itself when valuable co-workers decided to bring the Scholars at Risk program to Luxembourg. My institute offered a one short-term fellowship position for 2 months for a scholar at risk, particularly encouraging scholars from Palestine and Sudan to apply. I was both thrilled and concerned; it was paid but offered little security to overcome precarious situations. I figured if we found a wonderful first scholar, we could convince the administration to extend the program for a longer fellowship in the next calls. We're still working on the negotiation part... but the fantastic new scholar - we found.
Thank you, Ezzeldin. From Sudan to Sharjah to Luxembourg, for being that first success. ✨
Currently an MA student in Global African Studies at The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, he contributed to academic discussions on decolonial museum practices and innovative approaches to historical engagement in museums and other cultural institutions. I greatly appreciate you bringing the SAWA mindset to our office and sparking necessary reflections.
Best of luck in your journey. We'll stay in touch.
...and on we go
...with Khawla Alawadhi
This special fragment of the carpet arrived in Sharjah in October 2024 from the United States, carrying with it the spirit of connection that defines SAWA Museum Studies Program. During the 10 year anniversary SAWA conference titled "SAWA: A Decade of Cross-Cultural Museum Learning", we displayed the fragment as a symbol of shared experiences, linking SAWA participants from across the world through a single woven thread. Its presence at the conference served as a powerful reminder of our collective journey.
..AND OUR LATEST FRAGMENT OWNER
...LARA MALOUF
CulturalxCollab's carpet weaving its way into Penn State University's spaces, galleries, and exhibits.
...AND ON WE GO
...with Christopher Hölzel
16 young professionals from the museum sector from Europe and the MENA countries, full of energy, enthusiasm and passion for cultural mediation. That was the SAWA Museum Academy 2023 - what remains? We remain connected via the carpet of the Museum of Islamic Art. For the duration of the project, the colleagues will take over the carpet and create their own project. After its short trip to South Tyrol to visit Ötzi, Fragment #99 is now flying to the USA and will have further adventures there.
The journey begins...
...with Katharina Löhr
The SAWA Museum Studies Program is one of the best examples of how diversity can enrich all our lives. As a program for early-career museum enthusiasts in equal representation from the SWANA region and Europe, it is all about knowledge exchange, learning from and enriching each other and introducing each other to different living and working environments. A group of 16 participants will accompany each other for over a year to exchange ideas, thoughts and experiences on various museum-related topics. Among other things, this exchange results in a glossary of different terms, which is published on the program's website. With the help of the Culturalxcollabs project, we will now remain connected and in constant exchange for another 3 years. All participants of the SAWA Museum Studies Program 2023 will receive the carpet fragment no. 99 and relate it to their personal glossary term.
My glossary term was "community" - which not only stands for a term related to museums, but also for the SAWA community as well as the entire Culturalxcollabs project.
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 online 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?
