WEAVING AS A COMMUNITY

The exhibition includes a number of pieces by women of the Wichí people, represented by Unión Textiles Semillas as well as indigenous textile artist Claudia Alarcón (b. 1989). For centuries the Wichí community has lived in the Gran Chaco, a region spanning northern Argentina and parts of other countries, such as southern Bolivia and western Paraguay.

According to the collective imagination of the Wichí people, women emerged from the sky and descended to earth on a thread of chaguar (a type of cactus from the Bromelia family similar to aloe, which they use for weaving).

Wichí women work together to produce textiles bearing symbols and motifs inspired by their environment, demonstrating an understanding of the world inherited over many generations of weavers. By passing it down from generation to generation, the women not only preserve their knowledge and language but also become an important economic driver for their community through their craftsmanship and artistic work.

APICULTURE

Gallery 203 in the Museum features ethnographic objects typically found in the context of rural Basque farmhouses, including beehives made from local materials such as willow branches, clay mixed with manure, and vines, crafted using basketry techniques. In Basque mythology, bees were highly respected and considered sacred, treated with the same deference as people. These beehives demonstrate the importance of the symbiosis between humans and bees. For millennia, this collaboration has facilitated pollination and agricultural production while preserving ecosystem biodiversity and providing resources such as honey and wax. Harmony, respect between species, and the prevention of overexploitation are some of the keys to this collaborative model.

Silät Weavers Collective
Tayhin / The Unceasing Weave
Video still
Women weaving using traditional knotting technique, 2024
Silät Weavers Collective, Directed by Andrei Fernández, Produced by Sergio Abraham and Damián Payo. Supported by Cecilia Brunson Projects gallery