The following paragraphs describe a project that I found very interesting. I'd like to share it here, because they are looking for small contributions through Kickstarter to help complete it and the deadline is near.
This video and description are copied directly from the Kickstarter website.
You can read more about it here. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/705012899/coded-stories-art-bar-codes-and-mapuche-identity
"Coded Stories, a documentary film, weaves together contemporary art with indigenous rights to convey the struggle of the Mapuche of Chile to preserve their culture and way of life. After a year of original filming, we are reaching out to supporters to help us raise $25,000 to complete filming in Chile and Los Angeles through October 2012. The goal of Coded Stories is to spread awareness about the plight of the Mapuche, a people whose traditions are under serious threat.
The Story. The film follows artist Guillermo Bert, a Chilean-born, Los Angeles-based artist whose recent work was inspired by the similarities between Mapuche textile patterns and contemporary bar codes (QR codes). Bert's art raises questions about identity, globalization, modernization, and challenges facing indigenous cultures in the Americas ."
I first became interested in the Mapuche designs through Laverne Waddington and her backstrap weaving blog http://backstrapweaving.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/backstrap-weaving-everywhere-an-eye-eye/
This blog has a nice little discussion of the Mapuche and their textiles also. http://cupernickel.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/mapuche-weaving/
I don't really understand the art/coding part, but I donated a bit of $ anyway.
ReplyDeleteJan- Thanks! I don't have a smart phone, but have had this demonstrated to me. If you scan the QR code, it "reads" the information. They are taking the stories of the Mapuche people they've interviewed and having it made into code. So if you were to scan the code, it would tell you that person's story. There is some visual similarities between the QR codes and some of the traditional Mapuched weaving designs. Does that make it any more clear?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the exhibit will make it up to the San Francisco bay area?
ReplyDeleteReally interesting story and pictures...
Very nice blog you haave here
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