Cosmic Loom
- Year: 2021
- Material: Mixed media including spindles, yarns, recycled textile fibres, various materials
- Commission: Gropius Bau
- Production: Jongeriuslab
- Category: Exhibition
- Category: One-offs / experiments
In numerous cultures, weaving and spinning symbolise fate, the moment when the threads of life are either shaped or cut. According to various creation stories, heaven and earth are connected by yarns, resembling a network that holds the cosmos together. In these stories, the turning of the spindle, like the circulation of the sun and moon, reveals the mysteries of time. The interplay of the sun and the moon represents the cycle of life and death. In the Anthropocene epoch, the sun, moon and weather are no longer the only weaving forces at work; humans also turn the spindles, thereby influencing the environment. The installation Cosmic Loom explores the idea of weaving a new texture of the world: a textile that connects mind and matter. From April - August 2021, during the exhibition of Woven Cosmos at Gropius Bau in Berlin, various guests were invited to spin the yarns during the exhibition. Every day one person spun one yarn, together forming the warp of the Cosmic Loom which gradually developed during the course of the exhibition.