Updates from Artists-in-Residence: Fari Bradley and Chris Weaver

New arrivals Fari Bradley and Chris Weaver, both sound artists, kicked off their 11 months at Tashkeel by joining the Design PAL Labs tour.

Two visitors from Scotland, Roanne Dods and Fi Scott of Make Works ran workshops with local designers following up on their input previously this year at Design Days Dubai. Although the Summer 2014 tour was for the new design and Pal Workshop programme at Tashkeel, our resident artists went to look for inspiration in the most unlikely of places (e.g. a camel tannery) while checking out the landscape of the wider Emirates, namely Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

It made sense, especially as the name Tashkeel – تشكيل means to “give shape or form”, and Bradley and Weaver intend to give form to some of their previously more metaphysical sound pieces during their UAE residency.

The day included a visit to a camel tannery, where tanners were experimenting with fish skin for leather too, and metal, upholstery and perspex workshops. The idea was to broaden artist and designer’s understanding of what and how things could be manufactured here in Emirates, and there was much discussion with the foremen about the process of working with designs. Make Works in Scotland had even gone so far as to create placements for artists in industrial production houses.

Below are a selection of impressions and audio snapshots taken from the day.

Pictures by Fari Bradley, audio Chris Weaver.