WGBH morning radio features DATMA on the morning of Thursday August 18th. In the segment Jared Bowen discusses DATMA’s theme of Shelter and specifically draws attention to the Flexible Fibers exhibit.
Bowen first describes the “Star Lounge” project and its creators Rael San Fratello. Bowen talks about how “Star Lounge” can be walked into and how it explores ideas of housing using unconventional materials. And as for its appearance, “it kind of reminded me of a big gumball machine — like, in the most fantastical way.” as Host Paris Alston puts it.
The next piece Bowen talks about is “Weaving a Home” by Abeer Seikaly. This piece looks at Seikaly’s Jordanian-Palestinian culture and the Bendouin tradition of traveling through Jordan. This piece explores the weaving techniques used, and the portability of shelter.
The third piece Bowen describes is the fabric structure by RISD alum Do Ho Suh. As Bowen puts it, “They evoke and recapture his former homes in Rhode Island, London, Berlin, Korea.” Bowen explains that this piece talks about themes of what home is, migration, and crossing a threshold just as you cross a threshold into his work.
You can listen to the radio segment here, minutes 4-6:45.