Dani + tanti Pepenica selfie / 2016
In July 2016 I took part in a project that tried to combine traditional weaving techniques with contemporary art in Brașov (Romania). It was called „Războaie în Bastionul Țesătorilor” and it gathered 6 Romanian contemporary artists and 6 Transylvanian weavers that learnt the craft around Bran. I was interested in transforming a photography into a textile. In order to best replicate the image I have received help from two fantastic professionals: tanti Pepenica (Maria Pepene) and tanti Rodica (Rodica Tişcă), to whom I remain deeply thankful. I started with a selfie, which I later rasterized in order to have some sort of control over the proportions (through pixels). Although the results were hard to anticipate before having started, I find that the imperfections develop a poetry of the wool, introducing the human factor's mark over any sort of manufactured piece. Mistakes separate us from the immaculate, machine-like replicas. Imperfection gives a certain value, as it makes objects unique. We are all imperfect and we should not be obsessed with achieving perfection. This is what makes us one of a kind. When I started the project I wanted to achieve photographic accuracy - at least according to the pixels. Afterwards, I was more than happy to see myself fail.
The work is in the collection of Brașov County History Museum.