Tapestry of Many Voices
'Tapestry of Many Voices' is a tactile/textile piece of stories, memories, dreams, identity, and everything in between.
Project is a collaboration of the Ukrainian artist Daria Titova and British-Estonian composer Helena Atkin.
The United Kingdom is Helena's home, Ukraine is mine, and Estonia is the place that brought us together, which is why we decided to realize the project in these locations. The tapestry, created across three different countries, is a response to the ruthless plundering of Ukrainian art by Russian forces, because it is impossible to destroy or take away what is rooted in consciousness, memory, and community.
Being Ukrainian is an experience carried by many people not only within the borders of Ukraine, but all over the world. You may live abroad or have a Ukrainian grandmother, and still feel the desire to reconnect with your heritage. Contemporary Ukrainian folklore is created by Ukrainians everywhere, and their perspectives deserve to be preserved.
The website is a digital tapestry, a collection of artworks of 115 people. Physical tapestry is 9 meters long and will be travelling as the exhibition, spreading the word, like the real folklore.
You can contribute to the tapestry by adding your story.
Workshops
Bring one Ukrainian story you wish to tell. It can be a fairy tale, a lullaby, a childhood ghost story — anything that connects you to Ukraine. In the workshop, we explore and learn ways of storytelling through textiles and embroidery:
Can you tell your story without using words?
Can you tell it using only words?
Which words are the most important when telling your story?
Which letters are the most important?
What voice does your story have? Is it a whisper? A song?
A scream?
Each participant has their own small piece of fabric through which to tell their story; later, we sew these pieces together into one work.
Thank you
Oleksandra Kurasova, Rita Davis, Conny Sayer, Zane Shumeiko, Anneli Kripsaar, Taras Shkoliarenko, Tanja Muravskaja, Johanna Jõekalda, Ülle Ergma, Seira from Lviv Municipal Art Center, Spaska, EKA gallery, Kharkiv Municipal Art Gallery, Unbroken Center, EKA GD department, Ministry of Culture of Estonia, the Hilltops Ukrainian Support Community, NART, our family and friends.
All workshop participants who trusted us and shared their stories, as well as all the cities, institutions, and people who supported us.