Sticking around at Join the artist with Tatjana Kiriënko

‘Today we’re going to stick, stick, stick!’ On the penultimate day of Join the artist, Tatjana Kiriënko’s greatest wish is to make as many kilometres as possible. The sketch of the collaborative textile panorama in progress lies on one of the worktables in the Makerscosmos and is made up of various designs by participants. A number of them are busy covering the canvas they have traced onto with textiles, but on this 23 June there are more empty spaces than helping hands. Not surprising, as the city has been experiencing a heatwave for several days, leaving half of Arnhem completely drained.

Cosmos meal

The brave participants who have braved the blazing sun don’t let it bother them and keep on sticking away happily. The suitcase in the middle of the room is overflowing with the most beautiful pieces of fabric and textiles, from which they occasionally make a careful selection before continuing their meditative work.

‘The suitcase is like a cosmos meal,’ says Tatjana. ‘Add water and suddenly you have a plate full of potatoes. It’s the same here. The suitcase opens and poof: it’s the cornucopia! By the way, did you know that all of this consists of leftover materials from curtain workshops and curtain factories?’

From wisteria to an Italian sandwich shop

During the previous workshop days, the participants and Tatjana showed each other photos of their favourite places in the city. The photos were printed, traced, and transferred onto canvas. ‘And together they form a psychedelic collage,’ explains Tatjana. ‘We use colour to create unity and harmony in the artwork.’

For the unsuspecting viewer, the textile panorama may seem quite abstract, but Tatjana knows exactly what is depicted on the canvases. ‘Look, this path represents a summer day just after it has rained. This is a wisteria. And here is an Italian sandwich shop, making it feel as if you’re suddenly in Italy.’

Everyone needs an outdoors

Rouan’s canvas is becoming more and more colourful. She has incorporated Sonsbeek into her design. ‘I have a very large group of friends, and no café can accommodate all of us. We only fit in Sonsbeek. There, you can simply do your own thing: laugh, shout, read, eat, drink. It’s such a wonderful place.’

Leanne’s favourite place is the zoo. ‘Everyone needs an outdoor space, and if you don’t have one, you create it. When my boyfriend and I lived in a one-room apartment, the zoo was my backyard for a while,’ she laughs. ‘It’s nice to hear about other people’s favourite places. I’m more aware of them now. For example, when I cycle over the bridge, I think: could this be that one special spot?’

Eye-opener

At a table a little further away, Jan-Willem and Angela are working together on a labyrinth. A labour of patience, according to Tatjana. ‘What a meticulous process! If only the viewer knew!’ Jan-Willem needs all his focus for this precise task, but in between he still wants to share that he is a big fan of Ruimtekoers. ‘This activity seemed so small-scale that I really wanted to take part.’ Angela loves everything related to creativity. ‘And I especially enjoy working together and creating connections in that way,’ she says.

The cutting-and-pasting flow

Maya is the one who came up with the path on a summer day. ‘I was cycling through the park and thought: life is beautiful! I wanted to capture that moment.’ Together with Camille, she drops into the Makerscosmos half an hour before the end of the workshop. She is actually too tired to join in, but the enthusiasm of the others is so contagious that she decides to stay and get stuck in.

Leanne has been in the cutting-and-pasting flow since the beginning of the afternoon and only comes out of it once her canvas is finished. Tatjana admires her work. ‘Oh, how beautiful! You have talent! This is truly Alice in Wonderland meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.’

Ukrainian tradition

The Verre Binding residency connects to a large collaborative art project that Tatjana is working on in Ukraine. ‘It may well be the biggest work I will ever create, and it is all about love. In Ukrainian tradition, handicrafts are spiritual. The thoughts and energy you bring to your work matter. You should not do handicrafts while having negative thoughts. That is what we are building on here.’

Dan: ‘With Join the artist, I wanted to explore the extent to which you can design and create together. Like a mini pilot project. It is an eye-opener to see how much you can leave in the hands of others and how creative everyone is!’