Exhibition
WE ARE NOT CARPETS
I tell you my story
“The beauty of those carpets, designed by the designer, lies in their design. But the beauty of this carpet resides in my heart.”
Anne Beik Koohi
WE ARE NOT CARPETS examines the centuries-long systematic marginalisation and exploitation of carpet weavers. What happens when they weave their own stories and not the patterns ordered by clients?
The joint exhibition by artist-weavers and researchers from Iran and Germany, “WE ARE NOT CARPETS – I Tell You My Story,” presents newly created, unique personal carpets and their stories, which are experienced in a poetic and cinematic way. The carpets are the result of the collaborative research project “Weaving Memories” which provides weavers from the North Khorasan region in Iran with a platform to tell their stories by transforming their craft into a medium of storytelling and as works of art. The carpets made in this project are accompanied by short poetic videos, created together with the artist-weavers during the making of the carpets. Some of the artist-weavers from Iran will be present in the museum during the exhibition.
WE ARE NOT CARPETS offers visitors the opportunity to learn more about the lives and craft of carpet weavers and to understand the global and local challenges of the exploitative economic and social system. At the same time, the exhibition sheds light on the colonial and capitalist entanglements of exploitation that continue to have an impact today. WE ARE NOT CARPETS invites reflection on the hidden stories behind the carpets and how global economic connections, colonial history, and cultural perceptions have shaped their production and meaning. An exciting accompanying program such as weaving workshops for children and adults as well as discussion formats complement the experience.
The exhibition is a collaboration between the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum (RJM), the Cologne International Forum, the Global South Studies Center of the University of Cologne, and the FWO-funded research project “Weaving Memories” at the University of Ghent.
Weaver-Artists:
Saheb-Jamal Rahimi, Masoumeh Zolfaghari, Zoleikha Davari, Anne Beik Koohi, Asie Davari, Rabe' Rahimi, Sibgol Shekofteh, Masoomeh Mohammadi
Curatorial Team:
Arjang Omrani, Tahereh Aboofazeli, Simone Pfeifer
Artistic Director, Scenography: Arjang Omrani
Exhibition Design: Arjang Omrani, Saeed Aghai
Graphic Design: Amirali Ghasemi, Sin Seeni
Website: Bahar Ahmadifard, Amirali Ghasemi
Video Arts: Tahereh Aboofazeli, Arjang Omrani, Saeed Aghai