To read a pattern

What happens to a non-western craft when it is integrated into European production standards? “To read a pattern” is a textile installation, exploring how textile patterns from Laos might persist in a different geographical, technological and cultural context. In Laos, weaving is a living tradition — patterns are continually created and traditionally passed down from mother to daughter to use in the domestic space. Using patterns, taught in Laos, Marie Vilay developed in collaboration with the Textiel Museum Tilburg, a new generation of patterns, to create a space for the rich tradition of the Lao weavers in a new context.