Blanket Talks, Series 2

Blanket Talks, Series No. 2 was created for ‘Of Mountains and Seas’, Lahore Biennale 03, held in Lahore, Pakistan. I produced eight woodblocks in Indonesia, which I brought to Lahore to be skillfully printed by local Pakistani craftsmen. This collaboration resulted in a large blanket and a series of dresses.
Each woodblock features a pattern derived from Google Earth imagery, zooming in on deforested areas across Indonesia. These patterns reflect the environmental impact of nickel, gold, and coal mining, the development of food estates, palm oil and rubber plantations, as well as the construction of the new capital city.
I see stamping and printing as acts that capture a specific moment in time—each mark a trace left behind. These marks, whether positive or negative, can be seen as symbolic prints, much like carbon footprints indicating our impact on the environment.
During the opening, two experts and activists were invited to sit, stand, and walk on the blanket while discussing pressing issues related to agriculture and food production in Pakistan, and the challenges currently facing farmers.