Cristina Mariani

MEET THE MAKER

I am a textile artist, I live and work between Prato and Florence. I have a digital background because I worked for years as a graphic and web designer, until my desire to go back to working with the material led me to discover weaving and to fall in love with it. My work is exclusively manual and I use different frames, horizontal, vertical, framed with these I create tapestries and unique hand-woven pieces. My production has two different destinations that often intersect and influence each other, one more linked to contemporary art that I exhibit in museums and galleries and the other linked to fashion and furniture: I have a small production of unique accessories (scarves, stoles, blankets, necklaces) and I collaborate with fashion houses and style offices. In my works, I often seek the fusion between digital aesthetics and scientific data with an ancient, ritual and slow art such as manual weaving. I used sound spectrograms to talk about weavers ‘chants and textile workers’ protest songs, thin sections of minerals seen under a microscope, images of electronic circuits reminiscent of insect mimicry, and used an old slide projector reminiscent of the carousel of the Jacquard looms cartons. I carefully choose materials and colors, my workshop often looks like a tangle of balls, yarns, looms and finished pieces. Weaving is an ancient art that requires precision and attention, in the preparation phases of order and chaos alternate in a slow ritual.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO TAKE PART IN iATELIER ONLINE PROGRAMME?

I believe that the exchange between professionals even from different fields, not necessarily creative, is always an excellent opportunity to increase one’s knowledge and develop new points of view. As an artist, I believe that the contamination between disciplines is vital and as a textile artisan with a digital background I am interested in the collaboration and interference between ancient art such as weaving and new technologies. I am particularly interested in improving the production process without distorting it and creating interfaces capable of helping the public and potential customers to take part in the creation of unique pieces according to the ever-growing trend to offer personalized shopping experiences based on customization. Experiences in places such as makerspaces and fablabs also allow you to independently create spare parts and new tools for your business with a view to sharing, reusing and recycling.

WHAT IS YOUR FEEDBACK?

The history of technology is closely linked to textiles, the Jacquard loom machine of the early nineteenth century can be considered the first computer, the solids and voids of the perforated cartons constitute a binary language. In my business I look for tradition and slowness as opposed to unethical productivity and industrial speed. I am deeply influenced by the theories of Ruskin and Morris of the Arts and Crafts movement which set out to return to manual skills and craftsmanship by celebrating the creativity of the otherwise alienated individual. I worked for a few years as a graphic and web designer but later I chose to devote myself to an activity where the manual and material component is essential and central. New technologies and digital are precious resources if used intelligently to support your production. I am looking for a synthesis between the two aspects not only on a formal level, as already happens in many of my works, but for a concrete interaction that acts on the production process, without presupposing renunciation but creating an improvement. In this sense, the exchange between craftsman and designer is also an opportunity to revitalize one’s skills.

FINAL PROJECT FOR iATELIER ONLINE

Click to view the PDF presentation of InnerScapes project

Reference scenario

The project starts from the analysis of a contemporary emerging phenomenon. The outbreak of the pandemic has resulted to the loss of one’s sense of safety, habits and in more cases delicate of physical and mental integrity, a phenomenon described as Pandemic fatigue. A condition that has caused the re-emergence of e increase the sensitivity with respect to the Emotional Health Issues, del mental well-being and self-care. A need evidenced by the increase the use of apps and programs customized support to the meditation, breathing and yoga. Strengthen the sense of connection with the own being, memories and experiences positive, take advantage of sensory activation, educate on breathing practices they can be valid strategies for coping with emotional states of anxiety and stress.

InnerScapes is a device that assists the user in breathing techniques, a sensitive tapestry, in able to recall a positive experience unique and personal. Individual positive memories are explored and collected through an online platform, are then translated into a visual-tactile code and transformed in an interactive hanging textile element.

Developed with the designer Annarita Bianco.