Textile Installation at Basel Social Club - Basel, Switzerland

The textile installation is made from discarded Buddhist monk robes - paying homage to the wisdom of Buddhism and envisioning our life cycle. Buddhist monk robes were traditionally made out of unwanted fabrics. The disciples of the Buddha would look for fabric; even in piles of garbage. Then they would put aside contaminated cloth and treat the leftover mishmash of unpredictable fabrics. A mixture of tree bark, vegetable particulates, flowers, and ancient herbs was then boiled into these particular tapestries to remove the smell and added the “Saffron” color we still see today. This originally sustainable approach reflects the teaching of the Buddha himself, yet today these religious ropes are mass-produced and have become a big waste in most temples. As they are “sacred”, managing such material is still very challenging. This year’s edition took place in a new location and format - a week-long event in the open air on farmland fields, amongst trees, and between the barns of Bruderholz, Basel, SWITZERLAND during Art Basel.