Avittat – tamat ornissinnaasaanni eqqumiitsuatit
ENGLISH BELOW
Avittat – tamat ornissinnaasaanni eqqumiitsuliat
Avittat kalaallit assassortarneranni suliat kusanarnersat ilaattut isigineqartarput. Puisip amianik unniliat qalipaasersukkat millimeterialunnguatut angitigisunik unnermut tungujorsiamulluunniit mersuussat kalaallit kinaassusaannik takussutissiisuupput qalipaatigissut. Qangali kalaallisut atisat sioraannut/takisuinut aamma kaminnut pinnersaatissatut suliaasarsimapput. Ullumikkulli mutinik atisaliornermi naqitatut pinnersaasiunneqartarput pooqattani, puuliani, nujarmiuni il.il. Avittat atorneqartarnerat allanngulaarlugu tamat ornissinnaasaanni kinaassutsimik takutitsisutut avittat kusassaataasinnaanerat suliniutitsinni misilikkusussimavarput.
Marloriarluta workshop’ertitsinitsinni innuttaasut 50-t missaanniittut suleqataaffigisaanni najukkatsinni iikkani angisuuni kusassaatissanik eqqartueqatigiillutalu sanaartorpugut. Puisip amianik sanaarineqartartut avittat qisuminernik taarserlugit, avittaliornermi allalersuutaasartut isumassarsiorfigalugit, qisuminersuarnut ikkussuivugut. Uagutsinnut pingaartuusimavoq suliaq sivisullunilu pisariugaluartoq avittaliornertulli peqqissaarutsiginissaat. Avittaliaareersimasut isumassarsiorfigalugit, atisaliornermi avittat kusassaatigineqartarnerattulli, iikkani kusassaatissat suliarineqarput.
Suleriaaseq immikkuullarissoq Julia Heurling – QR atorlugu allalersueriaaseq sakkugimmagu – suleqatigalugu aallupparput. Avittalioriaaseq taamaalilluta eqqumiitsuliorluta misileraaffigerusutarput piviusunngortipparput, attaveqaqatigiinnermi kalaalerpaluttunik atuineq sakkussatut ullutsinnut naleqquttunngortikkusussimagatsigu. Oqaluttuarisaanerpummi kingumut qiviarutsigu, sunaluunniit suliaq avatangiisinut naleqqussarlugu ineriartortinneqarpat kulturi ataannarsinnaasarpoq.
Misileraavissatsitut toqqarparput Ilulissat illoqarfiata kitaatungaaniittoq queqarfik. Aqqusineq Sangusariaq kusassaavigalugu aallartipparput – tassani najugallit tassaapput suliniummik Art In Public Space-mik (tamat ornissinnaasaanni eqqumiitsuliornermik) Ilulissani suliaqarnitsinni susassareqatigiilluni suliaqarnermi aallarteqatigut. Iigarsuit allat kusanartuliorfiginissaat tullinnguuppoq, qanorlu iikkaniittussaliorluta suleriaaseqartarnerput pillugu inunnut amerlanernut paasissutissiinissatsinnut ammavugut.
Avittat atornissaannut periarfissat killeqanngillat, allaasami isiginnittoq sumorsuaq takorluuilersissinnaavaat, soorlu avittaararpassuit allalersuutigineqarsinnaanerat killeqanngitsoq. Naggataagulli: Avittat qaqortortaat nakkukkukkit, nipilersuusiap nuusiarineqarneralusooq takussavat, Avittat nipaat. Qernertoq qaqortunngorsinnaasoq, killormullu.
Tapiissunut Arctic Culture Lab qujarusuppoq, ukununnga: NAPA, Kultureqarnermut Naalakkersuisoqarfik, Nordisk kuturkontakt aamma INI. Immikkut ittumik qutsavigerusuppakkattaaq, workshop’ertitsinitsinni marlunni peqataasut queqarfiillu iigaanni kusassaaqataasut.
Ulloq: Marsi 2020 – oktobari 2021
Avittat is considered to be one of the finest forms of embroidery in Greenlandic arts and crafts. Dyed sealskin leather strips of a few millimeters in size are sewn on a white or black piece of seal skin and hereby create a colorful expression of Greenlandic identity. Originally, this leather embroidery is used as “sioqqat” on “takisut”, the short seal-skin trousers of the women`s national costume and as “qalipaat” on the kaamit, the seal skin boots. Nowadays avittat is also used in modern clothing design, as printed patterns or as decoration on bags, cases, barrettes etc.
We wanted to take the use of avittat one step further and look at avittat’s potential as an identity-building decoration element in public space. In two workshops we discussed and created together with about 50 local inhabitants large sized wall panels presenting avittat-patterns used in our area. By sizing up the patterns for our purpose we replaced leather with small wooden moduls that have been attached to a wooden surface. It was important to us that the process is as time consuming and demanding as the sewing would be. In addition we choosed to size up the original patterns so they work for the dimensions surrounding them, this means we used the same aesthetical rules as when avittat is decorating pieces of clothing.
As a special feature, the pattern designer Julia Heurling created a QR-code based on the aesthetics of avittat. Hereby we want to experiment with the cultural expression in a new context, something that could add a Greelandic touch to modern communication tools. Looking back in history we ses that culture stays alive whenever adapted to new circumstances.
As an experimental platform we choosed a row of shelters in the western part of the city of Ilulissat. Doing so, Sangusariaq street became a pilot scheme and the first place with a socio-cultural Art in Public Space-project in Ilulissat. Many more wall panels will follow and we are open to introduce more people to the knowhow behind these wall panels..
Avittat`s potential is endless, the patterns invite the viewer to see them beyond the borders of the wall panels, a certain parallelism between the tiny moduls and the morphemes of kalaallisut/Greenlandic is obvious. Last but not least: when you focus on the blank, white spots that appear like a rest in a piece of music, Avittat becomes a sounding notation. Black can turn white, and vice versa.
We are grateful for the support that Arctic Culture Lab recieved from NAPA, The Greenlandic ministry of culture, Nordic Culture Point and INI. My special thank goes to all people that took acitvely part in both workshops and could present the result on their storage sheds.
Date: March 2020 – October 2021
supported by the Greenlandic Ministery of Culture, Arctic Culture Lab, INI Greenland and NAPA.