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