Fabric as Social Identity: An initiative of YMCA Lahore and Beaconhouse National University

Fabric as Social Identity-ںویک ؟ںاہک ؟نوک؟

As the textiles of any region represent its roots; history, political significance and cultural narrative, the geographical placement of a city’s buildings hold a particular meaning. Similarly, the YMCA building in Lahore stands as a testament to the identity of the city; as a city of poets, artists and visionaries. As one of the buildings that was commemorated to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887, it is significant as a part of the historical narrative of Lahore. Since the era of Queen Victoria to the partition of Pakistan, the YMCA has been a standing symbol of Inclusivity. It is a platform that recognizes individuals as Pakistanis, above any race or religion.

For the Lahore Biennale installation at the YMCA, the students of SVAD, BNU will work on pieces of their individual narratives, which will be brought together and developed into a large piece of social fabric. This concept will be divided into an overarching theme of Fabric as a marker of the identity of its society, divided into the three streams of societal constructs; Who, where and why which are depicted by the following visual sub-themes: ؟نوک

1 نوک Kaun/who? Personal Narratives; which will be the stories stemming from the idea of the self through accounts of positivity, struggle, joy and empowerment. Stories of personal choices, of passion and hardships and stories that are close to our hearts. These narratives will be depicted by the different shades of red and its associated tones, as shown in the mood board below..

؟ںاہک

2 ںاہک Kahan/where? Intergenerational stories; or narratives that have cultural or generational significance. These have passed down through grandparents, family lineage, etc. Stories of inheritance, stories of archives, letters, partition, and traditional artifacts etc. These will be depicted by the different shades of rusts, browns, vintage colours and their associated tones, as depicted in the mood board below.

؟ںویک

3 Kyun or why? Political Narratives; The stories of political turmoil will show what role political influences play within a society. For example, the current political discourse in the country as well as the instability that surrounds it. The stories of Gaza, the Bengali students movement and what it means for the youth and us in these troubling times. These will be depicted by the different shades of blue, gray, black and its associated tones This is also depicted in the mood board below.

Final Assemblage :The fabric would be stitched in the form of three large final pieces, handmade in tonal variation of the different shades that represent the diverse nature of Lahore; the city that blends different people from every walk of life. When the three streams of who, where and why from the society come together and form one conceptual space, we as a diverse society will be able to view the impacts of the untold nuances that will be shown through artistic expression. This can be analyzed in a deeper way once the audience begins to survey and observe prominent elements furthering on into the minute details. This fabric would feature crafts from the many regions within the country.

؟ںویک ؟ںاہک ؟نوک

In Collaboration with Kaarvan- a joint workshop to stitch the social fabric

The faculty and students of Textile, Fashion and Accessories Design as well as students across SVAD, will collaborate with Kaarvan in a joint-two day workshop, in order to stitch the pieces for the final installation. These workshops will be based on BNU SVAD’s previous association with Kaarvan, where both have come together to break societal norms, cultural barriers on Rural Women's Day.

These activities in the past few years were conducted to envision a better reality, where boundaries that exist between the urban and rural communities were blurred and a dialogue could be formed between the urban and artisanal communities. The objective was quite simple; to explore diversity and commonalities through various activities. This was also a learning platform, where the women of Kaarvan made a mark by voicing their opinions and sharing their experiences with the students of Art and Design. They also brought their craft work to engage in dialogue regarding the process students of SVAD followed. This allowed for both students and artisans to learn from one another through exchange of knowledge. Hence, Kaarvan and BNU come together for the Lahore Biennale installation so that the fabric we create as a society, can represent the diverse identity of our culture collectively. The purpose is also to continue the ongoing dialogue, as a constant undertaking to bring society together and blur the economic gaps that exist within the urban and rural constructs of the society.

Stitching all the pieces of the fibre art, will involve critical thinking, problem solving, and integrating diverse groups of cultures under one platform. While both organizations' common goal is to bridge the gap between art, craft, artisan and designer, this task will serve as a mode of engagement, forming new techniques of fabric manipulation such as patchwork, sewing, appliqueing. These layers will make the process and the outcome both more meaningful. The stories will be curated by incorporating materials that have been passed down through generations of the artist’s families, or materials the artists have been working with for a significant amount of time. There will be three panels/or rather streams of society that will be built through this concept, where the participants will stitch the collective pieces, within each colour palette. The concept of ںویک ؟ںاہک ؟نوک a sa egaugnal gnisu ,txetnoc lacol eht htiw detaicossa eb lliw ؟prompt for viewers to respond.

Once the three streams of society (who, where and why) are stitched, they will be brought together in the form of a three wall-triangular room, within the YMCA hall. This idea, inspired by Judy Chicago’s Dinner Party, will be a representation of the deeper aspects of society coming together to create one space. When the audience views the panels, they not only experience the deeper reality within their physical reality, but will also feel like a part of the installation.

Judy Chicago, The Dinner Party

This is so, when the narratives are collectively stitched, they not only create a visual representation of each artist/craftwoman’s work, but more importantly showcase a diverse culture that is tied to the geographical importance of the YMCA building. We hope that this activity serves as an example of many more in the future, where diverse groups of individuals come together to form a social fabric. One that is representative of diversity, inclusivity, empathy and equity present within its society.  The outside walls of the structure will be of white fabric, to provide a completely blank canvas to the general public to interact with, while the patchwork panels will be patched and incorporated inside the room/installation.

YMCA Exhibition- Public Interaction and Political Discourse:

On the day of exhibiting the fabric, in order to ensure the dialogue for inclusivity is carried forwards through the narratives of BNU students and Kaarvan artisans, BNU will also open the floor for audience, to join us in stitching their intergenerational fabrics as well as textile narratives to become a part of our collective social narrative. This installation would be a symbol of the changing times, political narratives and positivity that surrounds Lahore. BNU will place colour coded fabric, stitching material as well as stationary, according to the three streams; Who, Where and Why? Fabric, threads and textile material will be placed near the installation so that they can respond to our open call for active participation. Small sized fabric flags will also be lined up in the colours of our respective themes while the open roof of the installation will be covered with ropes. The flags will give a covering and the interplay of their colours will give us an analysis of the political discourse surrounding the installation. The public can also interact by placing the flags of their choice of colour/or the theme they associate with, on the string/rope. This activity will ensure that the installation is meaningful. The engagement will be documented and facilitated so that this significant journey of becoming a part of the social narrative will unite the people of Lahore, with YMCA and Lahore biennale as the platform and the data collection from the interaction can give us insights on the ideals of our society.

Qudsia Rahim

Executive Director

Lahore Biennale Foundation