Abstract
Zemi is a unique, interactive carpet that invites viewers to explore the intertwining histories embedded within its woven fabric. Acting as a silent observer of human life, Zemi represents the experience of carpets as objects steeped in human stories, witness to the passage of time and culture. Patterns reflecting Taino (Puerto Rican), Indonesian, and Celtic symbology are interwoven into Zemi’s design, created in collaboration with the AI Chimere. Each pattern not only honors the diverse cultures that have influenced its creation but also serves as a portal into a sensory archive of human history.
Through movement across its surface, Zemi enables users to explore this archive – an evolving collection of songs, videos, field recordings, and stories gathered from the activities and voices around it. The act of stepping, pressing, and gliding across Zemi's fabric dynamically activates this archive, blending sound and visuals in response to the user's weight, path, and gestures. This creates a dialogue between the viewer and the carpet, allowing agency over the sensory materials woven into its fabric.
Participants are encouraged to move slowly, barefoot or in provided slippers, to fully engage with Zemi’s responsive elements. The experience invites individuals not only to listen but to contribute, offering the option to record their own voices, performances, or stories, embedding themselves into Zemi’s narrative. Through this exchange, Zemi becomes a living archive, continuously shaped by each person who crosses its path.
The ZEMI carpet was hand made by Maria Sappho, and the electronics which sustain the instrument were developed in collaboration with Colin Frank.
Zemi was made for the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and the Perempuan Komponis 'Network archive' residency, connecting UK and Indonesian gender minority artists to develop a new creative work. This carpet was premiered within the sound installation "Marlaut," which premiered at the Ruan Pamer An Planetarium, Taman Ismail Marzuki.
Through movement across its surface, Zemi enables users to explore this archive – an evolving collection of songs, videos, field recordings, and stories gathered from the activities and voices around it. The act of stepping, pressing, and gliding across Zemi's fabric dynamically activates this archive, blending sound and visuals in response to the user's weight, path, and gestures. This creates a dialogue between the viewer and the carpet, allowing agency over the sensory materials woven into its fabric.
Participants are encouraged to move slowly, barefoot or in provided slippers, to fully engage with Zemi’s responsive elements. The experience invites individuals not only to listen but to contribute, offering the option to record their own voices, performances, or stories, embedding themselves into Zemi’s narrative. Through this exchange, Zemi becomes a living archive, continuously shaped by each person who crosses its path.
The ZEMI carpet was hand made by Maria Sappho, and the electronics which sustain the instrument were developed in collaboration with Colin Frank.
Zemi was made for the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and the Perempuan Komponis 'Network archive' residency, connecting UK and Indonesian gender minority artists to develop a new creative work. This carpet was premiered within the sound installation "Marlaut," which premiered at the Ruan Pamer An Planetarium, Taman Ismail Marzuki.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Media of output | Textile |
| Size | 1x1.5m |
| Publication status | Published - 2024 |