A Running Thread: ITERARTE’s Variations for Editions Art & Design, 6-9 Nov, 2024

Thread serves as a unifying theme and material in ITERARTE’s showcase of contemporary art and traditional craftsmanship at Editions Art & Design Fair 2024. Through our innovative Variations project, we celebrate the intersection of modern artistic practices and handmade techniques. The collaboration between our talented artists and skilled craftspeople has allowed for the meanings and making of original works to be reimagined within rich cultural contexts, with textiles and thread playing a central role in telling these stories. Textile practices hold deep cultural and historical significance, often passed down through generations of women, resonating with the intricate relationship between identity, memory, and tradition.
The highlight of the Variations project is the creation of unique commissioned pieces that reflect diverse cultural heritages.
Paolo Colombo’s four works showcase two intricate Indian embroidery techniques. The first, Aari embroidery, originated in Gujarat in the 12th century and is achieved with a small hooked needle known as an "Aari,". The second, Chamba Rumaal traditionally practiced by royal women of Chamba in the Himalayas in the 17th century, involves stitching silk thread onto muslin cloth. Both techniques beautifully echo Colombo’s mosaic-like compositions, seamlessly blending ancient craftsmanship with contemporary artistry to create a captivating fusion of past and present.
Salam Atta Sabri’s Fantasy Series has been reimagined as a wool rug through the traditional art of Tibetan carpet-making. His signature geometric style and rich textures come to life in this medium, offering a reinterpretation of his homeland, Baghdad. The distorted, fantastical imagery characteristic of Atta Sabri's work delves into themes of personal and collective memory, with the interplay of thread and texture adding depth to his exploration of the past and its lasting impact.
The tradition of tatreez, or Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery, was used by a group of Palestinian refugee women to bring Iliodora Margellos’ vision to life in the five Stoking Embers editions. Each piece was hand-finished by Iliodora herself, with the coloured threads forming floating islets reminiscent of Greek landscapes and mythologies.
Lastly, Afsoon’s two digital editions, which feature imagery from old postcards, vintage papers, and family photographs, have been elevated through the use of pearls and red thread, meticulously sewn into the work. This hand-finishing adds a further personal touch to the artist’s narrative, using thread to bridge the gap between the modern and traditional.