“The rug of life became the playground of all I desired. Its patterns – whatever I dreamed of, its threads – -whatever I wished for, its colors – whatever I longed to embrace.

Today, I am the sovereign of this palace, the ruler of my own realm. It is I who decree where each color rests, and where each pattern takes its place.

When the weaving was done, I finally believed in the magic of transformation.

The rug of life, thread by thread, little by little, gently taught me the courage to change. With a soft slope, without battle or bloodshed, it gifted me bravery
And when the weaving was complete, I found myself closer to who I am.

I love myself more deeply, and I have discovered my own worth.”

 Masoumeh Zolfaghari – The Weaver-Artist

We Are Not Carpets is an attempt to bring a dissensus to the scene – a dissensus between a carpet and a Carpet, once the weaver binds it with her own name, story, colors, patterns and aesthetic.

It is an interruption of the order through which the regime of carpet production and trade has diminished the weaver to a mere machine, while confronting the centuries-long marginalization and exploitation of those who weave.

This rupture begins with a question:
What if, instead of weaving the commissioned and market-designed motifs, you were to weave your own story?

The joint exhibition by artist-weavers and researchers, “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.

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 behind the carpets and how global economic 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 connections, colonial history, and cultural perceptions have shaped their production and meaning. Various engagement formats accompany the exhibition.

Concept:

Arjang Omrani (University of Gent)

Tahereh Aboofazeli (University of Cologne)