Pillows for Dubai – Workshop

Zayed University, Dubai as part of ISEA Dubai

Description: Create a representation of a place in Dubai by working with the Artist to frame a scene and use still images to develop a series of commemorative cushions. Become part of a larger conversation about the implication of rapid development for all who live in Dubai.

Each participant in the workshop will provide an image of a site that is of personal significance to them and that is vulnerable to major transformation or even disappearance. Each participant has the choice of providing their own image, or together we will visit the location that they wish to photograph. From these images, we will compose square digital files that can be manipulated and made print-ready for transfer to soft fabric ready for sewing.

A crucial part of the digital manipulation is the overlay of text that references commemorative pillows, like those that are sold at Niagara Falls or the Eiffel Tower. I will show examples of the style of font traditionally utilized to reference commemorative pillows. Through this subtle insertion, the vulnerability of each site is acknowledged. Each participant will have the choice in terms of the content of the text. It may be as simple as the word Dubai written in a cursive style, or a text in their chosen language that shifts the meaning further.

The second part of this workshop addresses the implications of working with pillows. I am proposing that as we together sew the pillows, I will engage a discussion on the logic of making pillows as opposed to utilizing more conventional approaches to presenting images. Pillows are often associated with domesticity, and tend to be easily dismissed. This project provides a means to insert crucial messages into a public context without drawing undesirable attention. I will open up a discussion of strategies for utilizing domestic skills in combination with readily available digital technology.

This project is especially relevant in Dubai given the role of cushions to adorn the floors in majlis or offices, often places to receive guests and exchange ideas. The cushion is a very ancient article of furniture, and has maintained its importance in Dubai in certain settings.

Each participant will be provided with two copies of their image on fabric. One will be theirs to keep. The other finished pillows will be inserted into the ISEA context. This may take the shape of a mobile intervention, in which the pillows are arranged on chairs or the floor before panels or discussions.