wehda illustrated the possibilities of crafts and created a space for conversation between artisans, designers, and the general public.
wehda comprised three inherently connected elements: a temporary production workshop, an ongoing interactive installation, and a series of discussions that took place over the course of Amman Design Week 2019. Inspired by street-level workshop typologies, wehda was an invitation to interact with the craft and its artisans. In parallel with the production workshop and the ongoing installation, the talks intersected questions relating to design, cultural heritage, and crafts preservation.
The pop-up workshop located at street level was an invitation for the street to come inside and ask questions about the practice. In the region, we have all seen wood-mosaic boxes, and some of us even have them as souvenir objects in our homes, but few actually know how they are made.
For nine days, our team of designers and artisans was present on-site, creating a welcoming environment beyond production itself. We shared meals together, listened to music, engaged in meaningful interactions, and deepened appreciation for the intricate process behind the practice.
The installation comprised three frames, each accommodating the boxes forming the mosaic piece. Prior to and during the event, the artisans made 415 boxes (375 of which were installed) using four wood types (walnut, cherry, dyed walnut, and maple). The piece could be appreciated from two perspectives: its backside facing the street and its mosaic lids facing the interior, all covered with mirrors.
Each day, the team installed nearly 40 boxes and completed the piece on the very last day of the show.
I curated wehda, a three-part intervention at Amman Design Week 2019 for Turquoise Mountain focusing on crafts in displacement, and particularly on Damascene wood-mosaic.
Responding to possibilities, the theme proposed by Amman Design Week 2019, wehda (unit, unity, isolation in Arabic) illustrated the possibilities of crafts and created a space for conversation between artisans, designers, and the general public. The focus of the intervention was on wood-mosaic; a craft that traveled from Syria in 2012 and is currently practiced by very few in Jordan.
Wood-mosaic has a long history in the region and is of particular significance to artisans in Damascus. However, conflict and displacement in recent years have considerably disrupted the craft. Separated from their networks, some artisans moved to Jordan and other countries in the region where they have since been practicing in a new ecosystem. In Jordan, they attempt to recreate a community of practice and a sense of place.
The series of talks complemented the intervention and introduced the relationship between displacement, cultural heritage, and design.
Photos by Hussam Hasan for Turquoise Mountain, 2019