Architecture of Tangible Memory Wall Hanging by Hammad Abid |
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| DESIGN NAME: Architecture of Tangible Memory PRIMARY FUNCTION: Wall Hanging INSPIRATION: As I grew up, I inherited memories from my familys long history of migration and displacement instigated by the partition of India. In this work, I explore the power of architecture to shape the memory of home. With emphasis on materiality and form, I question how textiles can embody my ancestors lived experiences. How does a familys relationship to home change over time and migration? How does the security and shelter of a home get transformed into fragility? UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Architecture of tangible memory materially calls attention to how displacement and forced migration disrupt relationships and continuity between human shelter, memory of home, and passage of time. Inspired by the exterior of an unstable architectural structure this piece creates a form that contracts, expands, and breaks to represent the state of flux between security and fragility experienced by migrants and refugees, and endures an illusion of movement and undulation. OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: This piece is an exploration that physicalizes the phenomena of memory through a flexible fabric. Embodying a structural model of memory, the elegant interaction of materiality with the weave structure allows the thin slats of wood to move and bend into sculptural forms. This pliability of form echoes the abstract way we experience past memories. The stories I inherited from my family history shift and fluctuate depending on who is remembering them, and this piece embodies this multiplicity of textures and versions that all can exist at once. This piece can therefore be folded into different shapes depending on how it is put on a wall, to find a structural resolution between these memories. PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: The project started in December 2020 and finished in May 2021 in Providence, Rhode Island and was exhibited at RISD Museum. |
PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: Made by hand on an 8 harness floor loom, Architecture of tangible memory is an exploration which employs unconventional textile materials to evoke the feeling of an architectural structure that has been diminished and rendered ineffectual. Using the structure of a double layered fabric in a plain weave, I wove strips of plywood on the top layer and wool yarn into the layer beneath it. The overall composition and flow of the piece were orchestrated by weaving different thicknesses of plywood strips into the top layer, which manipulated the bending ability of the plywood. SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: Dimensions: Width 1828.8mm X Height 3048 mm TAGS: Architectural Textiles, Material innovation, Handcrafted, Contemporary craft, Wood weaving, Minimalist Design, Textile Design RESEARCH ABSTRACT: In 2019 the Indian government introduced an act that dislodged my familys history of migration from the corners of my mind and forced them into the forefront of my identity. I turned to weaving to inquire how the process of remembering impacts the physical world so profoundly. Can a textile embed a memory within itself? I pursued an iterative process of exploration on the loom through material and structure. To capture the effects of forced migration and communicate the impact of political violence on coexistence, I traced narrative patterns of memory in the physical world: Taking reference from the exterior and materials of an unstable home, I added different types and qualities of wood into my exploration to observe their behaviors when woven with other weave structures. Sensitivity to how wood responds on a loom led to the realization of this piece. CHALLENGE: The main challenge was the scale of this design. The fabric is larger than the width of a normal loom (121cm). I overcame this obstacle by weaving it in three panels and then joining them together off the loom through a combination of sewing and mending techniques to continue the woven surface of plywood by hand. ADDED DATE: 2021-06-29 00:59:29 TEAM MEMBERS (1) : Hammad Abid IMAGE CREDITS: Image1: Jo Sittenfeld Image2: Jo Sittenfeld Image3: Jo Sittenfeld Image4: Jo Sittenfeld Image5: Jo Sittenfeld |
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| Visit the following page to learn more: http://hammadabid.com | |||||
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NAME: Hammad Abid PROFILE: From a lineage of Indian weavers steeped in textile traditions, Hammad Abid is an award winning textile designer with extensive experience working and designing in the textile industry. Abid developed knowledge and skills which inform his dedication to combining traditional Indian technologies with the world of contemporary textiles. His MFA in Textiles from Rhode Island School of Design is augmented by a Bachelor's degree in Commerce and Finance, which has influenced his perspective on sustainable design and approach to independent craft economies. |
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Architecture of Tangible Memory Wall Hanging by Hammad Abid is Runner-up for A' Design Award in Textile, Fabric, Textures, Patterns and Cloth Design Category, 2021 - 2022.· Press Members: Login or Register to request an exclusive interview with Hammad Abid. · Click here to register inorder to view the profile and other works by Hammad Abid. |
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