WHO
Movana Chen

WHAT
This monumental installation by the Hong Kong artist reflects on female labour, personal and shared memories, material transformation, and time. Originally conceived as a participatory work, audience members were invited to contribute to the work by bringing along a treasured book. Chen transforms books by shredding the books’ pages, abstracting and decontextualising their content, to turn them into ‘yarn’, a medium traditionally for craft. Through her conversations with collaborators while knitting the work, the artist makes new and intimate connections that transcend language, politics, culture, and gender.

WHY
The installation is a metaphor for the power of collaboration. Chen’s process creates safe and nurturing situations where the focus is on spending time together, sharing experiences, emotions, and ideas, and the wonder of learning something new and unexpected. The completed work has been created through the collaboration of many individuals donating their books and time to the work across many different locations.