The meaning containers project explores manifestations of social and cultural resistance in craft practices. The Meaning Containers are artisanal bags inspired by raffia palm objects from the Democratic Republic of Congo preserved in the Museum of Ethnography in Stockholm. They are mainly inspired by a beanie initiation hat and amulet bags made with raffia palm. The meaning containers bags were part of a group exhibition called “Renegotiating Material Culture”, the result of a yearlong partnership between the Museum of Ethnography in Stockholm and Research Lab at Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design. One of the main objectives of the research project consisted in exploring how the museum and its collection can inspire our contemporary craft and also how craft can explore the museum.
Resorting to the traditional Congolese Raffia palm weaving and beadwork techniques, these bags combine raffia palm with polypropylene and plastic bags used to store and transport cobalt and other precious minerals in the contemporary DRC. As a bag designer, I wanted to create bags using materiality and shape as communicative interfaces. Objects can be containers of social and cultural meaning and can tell the relationship that exists between communities and makers with their natural environment and social context. This presentation consists of a long abstract and photo diary of my research work.
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