After the workshop Yina encouraged me to write about my experience. It could be a long text or just a word. “Escríbete a ti”, she said. I liked that. The word that came up in that instant was full. I felt full (rebosada, I also said). I felt as if I was re-connecting with one of my forgotten centers.
later on, words kept coming.
pimpiando tu ropa vieja. bambú. reclaiming your old clothes. first workshop. Santo Domingo. Albertine. made everywhere. Andrea - “drawing with the thread”. Pimpiado en el Jardín Botánico. Bertha. clothes we already have. Carla - “utilitarian clothes”. Dariet - “embracing the chaos”. social weaving. Enmanuel. exchange. Fidel - “yo estoy en constante construcción y deconstrucción”. connection. Geraldine - “el punto no es siempre ser el mejor”. textiles. Leticia - “fluir. yo soy el conjunto de muchas cosas diferentes”. Dry leaves. Lorraine. going back. Marcos. being here. Mario. time. Noelia. circles. Ruth - “I cook plants for living”. memory. Salvador - “la artesanía se está perdiendo”. maps. Yarlín. invisible threads. Yina. movement.
and Johanna - “I just want to avoid using excuses to do the zings I enjoy doing”
For me this workshop was an exercise,
an exercise on fluidity vs. fixed forms
an exercise on freedom vs. technique
an exercise on many ways vs. one way
an exercise on intuition vs. intellect
an exercise on heart based processes vs. mind based processes
an exercise on tuning in with nature vs. conquering nature
an exercise on embodied knowledge vs. learned and perpetuated knowledge
an exercise on lived experiences vs. assumed experiences
an exercise on finding points of connection vs. finding points of destruction
an exercise on turning our old clothes into portals vs. throwing them out
an exercise on reframing zings vs. discarding zings
an exercise on time-circles vs. time-lines
an exercise on
change
transformation
acceptance
and deconstruction of our validated self
to embrace our many chosen selves.
an exercise on using our old clothes as a way of trying to get somewhere,
without really getting there?
old clothes as a living archive. old clothes as a time traveling tool. old clothes as imposed identity. old clothes as chosen identity. old clothes as a tool to continue identifying and questioning our old patterns to create new ones.
ok. so.
what beautiful zings can I do with the clothes I already have? I keep questioning myself.
just keep swimming.
con amor,
johanna. jo. jojo. karina. johanna castillo. johanna karina castillo marcelino. johanna km 10 1/2. johanna josé contreras. johanna atala. johanna edificio verde. johanna cancino. johanna online. johanna IRL. johanna trepelito. johanna la conectora. johanna elotrojaldín. johanna la sirena. la tititu. las locas. el dragón. las pequeñas. el don. la doña. lxs que me miran de lejitos. lxs que miran a los ojos. lxs que puedo controlar. lxs que no puedo controlar y lxs que no han llegado aún bb.
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CREDITS AND THANK YOU
Supported by Caribbean Art Initiative, Rubis Mecenat, Jardín Botánico Nacional y la Regiduría Nacional
Curated by Yina Jiménez Suriel
Photography by José Rozón
Catering by Ruth Aquino (The Tipsy Black Sheep)
Date (linear time): Febrero 2022
Curated by Yina Jiménez Suriel
Photography by José Rozón
Catering by Ruth Aquino (The Tipsy Black Sheep)
Date (linear time): Febrero 2022
Thank you to all the participants for sharing your magic with me:)
