RECOUNTED
Client:
V&A w/ Knyttan @ Common Works
V&A w/ Knyttan @ Common Works
Year:
2015
2015
My Roles:
Coding, Data Visualisation, Graphic Design
Coding, Data Visualisation, Graphic Design
DESCRIPTION
Originally commissioned by the V&A as part of London Design Festival, Recounted
took inspiration from the museum’s large
collection of impressive tapestries. It invited
users to record a short audio message which
was analysed and converted into a pattern in
real time.
Speaking, singing or chanting is captured
in the space and automatically converted
into traditional Scottish-inspired knitting
patterns.
These patterns were sent to industrial knitting machines at regular intervals, then delivered to the V&A and added to the installation.
Before the Industrial Revolution, most knitwear was produced by small groups of women who – as they knitted – sang songs together to keep count of the number of stitches. We wanted to recapture this folk heritage of knitting in a contemporary way, drawing inspiration from the communal approach to production and the songs those communities sang.
Example Chladni Patterns. We used the Chaldni Formular and sounds from the space to generate the patterns on our tapestries.