Arctic Culture Lab

AVITTAT – Art in Public Space

The Panels The House of Snow

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.

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, jewelry etc.
Arctic Culture Lab takes the use of avittat one step further and looks at avittat’s potential as an identity-building art element in public space. Here you can read more about the two projects: The Panels and The House of Snow.