The Tent | A community art installation
2012
Artists: Noa meir and Tali buchler
Materials: lycra fabric scraps, watering pipes, rope
‘The Tent’ is an art installation that is part of a group exhibition “in suspension” in Zichron Yaakov, Israel.
The
idea behind this art installation was to bring back craft and the love
of making to the local community. By gathering and knitting the tent, a
community based on the love of handcraft was formed.
Every
Wednesday for 3 months kids, parents and grandparents got together at
the local community center to finger knit ropes from left over lycra
scraps brought from a local factory. The ropes were tied to 3 nesting
rings made of watering pipes, forming circus-like shaped tents. The
tents were hung from a large ficus tree located in a public garden in
the center of town, adjacent to a synagogue called Jacob’s Tent (we
found that out after installing the tent). We hung a total of 3 tents,
all independent of one another but close enough that spinning one would
start the movement of another.
The hovering tents formed a
space that encouraged passersby to stop, engage with the tents and
play. A public garden that was hardly ever occupied now became a
desirable place to be.
you can read about the story behind the tent on my blog
photography: Nirit-Gur Karby