01.10., 02.10.
Stitched Freedom: “Framed in Belarus” Project
A stitching workshop with artist collective “Stichit”
14.00
Venue: “Hearing Voices Café”, Pils iela 23
The event will be held in English.
APPLY HERE.
The number of officially recognized political prisoners in Belarus currently reaches more than 1000 people.
The aim of the #FramedinBelarus project is to tell about each wrongfully convicted citizen of Belarus and create their portraits using the traditional Belarusian technique of embroidery with red thread on a white background, and as a result to record an important era of Belarusian history with the help of a folk code ornament.
The process of embroidery is a long and meditative experience, allowing one to concentrate on the thoughts and feelings for a particular arrestor. Time is what is taken away from a person in prison and time is the little sacrifice we make when creating a portrait of a political prisoner.
The wall hangings are dedicated to Belarusian political prisoners. They present a short account of their arrest, with the folk name of the offense at the top. The project has the character of a social action. Those who decide to take part in a project after their registration via framedinbelarus.net receive patterns and instructions for the embroidery, the address of the prison where the person is being held and information about the websites through which the convicted can be supported. The embroidery process becomes a form of meditation on the fate of the imprisoned. The embroidered prison walls have stones falling off – this seems to signal hope. In the context of the whole project, one can come to the conclusion that the key to freedom is joint action.
The final form of the project will be a collective quilt of all the embroidered portraits and will be a tangible symbol of the intertwining of political events and human destinies.
ORGANIZERS
Stitchit is an art group created in 2021 by visual artist Rufina Bazlova and curator Sofia Tocar. Together they work on burning socio-political issues using the traditional technique of embroidery as a tool of resistance and dialogue. Stitchit involves different communities and individuals into the creation process and blurs the lines of authorship.
*The event is accessible to people with disabilities. Before visiting the festival, please read about the accessibility here. If you need special access requirements or have any questions about the accessibility of the festival, please contact us at mara@lcca.lv