Untangling history, one thread at a time with Ally Matthan of The Registry of Sarees and Editor Mrudul Pathak Kundu

Ally Matthan, Trustee of The Registry of Sarees in a conversation with Mrudul Pathak Kundu, sheds light on the selection criteria, intent and the days leading up to the show. The gallery aims to fuel a research and study centre for handcrafted textile preservation and exploration. How? Scroll down to read below.

What inspired you to launch The Registry of Sarees and how did this idea evolve into the ‘Sense and Sensibilities’ Gallery?

The Registry of Sarees pioneered the idea of “learning events” and “weaver engagement” programmes in 2016 – creating a knowledge bridge for consumers with practitioners. When we began building our archives of historical textiles in 2017, we began the implementation of using our “registry” to enable design, curatorial projects and exhibitions, particularly in unconventional spaces — publishing in the area of hand-spun and hand-woven and eventually built a conservation laboratory.

The inspiration and seed of the idea really came from the textile community: farmers, researchers, and everyone along the weaving process chain, from ginners and spinners to weavers, students, researchers, artists, artisans and designers. And of course consumers and connoisseurs. Everywhere we went, from Chirala to Anegundi and Hampi, people brought to our notice the lack of access creators have to actual historical textile samples, written knowledge and even the ability to exchange ideas between peers and even between generations.

In a country obsessed with traditions and revival, Sense and Sensibilities as an idea is really the narrative of the stakeholders told in their own voice, building on the past to secure a future that is egalitarian to the social economy, environment and community.  After all – textiles historically have shaped the world as we know it today and at the same time contribute to global pollution second only to the petroleum industry.

The gallery focuses on exploring the textile landscape of the Indian subcontinent. What do you hope visitors will take away from the exhibit, particularly in terms of understanding India’s rich textile traditions?

We hope that the researched narrative by the curatorial team led by Aayushi Jain, who is a Museologist and Archaeologist, helps inform visitors not only of the context and role that textiles bring to Indian society but also in placing 36 diverse stakeholders together we hope hierarchies are levelled, process materiality and skill are brought to the forefront.

This first iteration seeds a study in the history of design through textiles – by inviting our visitors on this journey, the community hopes to engage in larger dialogues that involve responsible consumption, lessons to temper a balance between quality and economic necessities as well as climate change and sustainability issues directly related to textile production.

The show featured a range of practitioners from diverse backgrounds. Can you talk a bit about the selection process?

The team at The Registry of Sarees works in an interdisciplinary manner. This is not a show led by a single curator’s point of view or study. The Curatorial Lead, Aayushi Jain, is a double gold medalist from MSU Baroda and brought to us a very thoroughly researched narrative with her background in Museology and Archaeology. The narrative was split into three sections:

a. context ( process, materiality and skill pre-colonialism from the Khud-rang section to the creators’ section) tracing different national and design movements as well as natural disasters that impacted production.

b. The introduction of formalised design through various institutions and practices between Bauhaus and Vishwakarma influences

c. Sustainability and innovation through the exploration of various materiality and processes

Given that no practice was isolatory in nature, it was also imperative to have Radha Parulekar, a textile researcher with a strong practice in textile technicalities and design, contribute to technical interpretations and nuances towards the larger narrative. For example Vinay Narkar’s practice of using the third shuttle innovatively or Abraham and Thakore’s very refined exploration of the disk made via Jamdani and Ariane Thakore’s exploration with Assamese textiles that led to an interpretation of inlay in her furniture.

Vishwesh Surve is an architect and also has a master’s in textile design. His expertise allowed us to create an aesthetic that has become synonymous with our exhibitions: structural waves. This time his curation of aesthetics and layout was supported by sound textile knowledge allowing us to bring into the narrative practices like Wari Watai’s structural textiles – these are some of the best in the country with quality of copper so well processed that it is very different from anything seen before.

The team had very stringent criteria for selection and invited practitioners on the merit of not only their product but more so on the rigour of their practice and its relevance to discovering the history of design in India through textiles. TRS is home to a large historical archive – so the archives were also referred to while building out both this first selection but also future iterations that will unfold over the next two years.

As someone deeply immersed in the preservation of these traditions, where do you see the future of textile conservation in India? Are there any initiatives you are particularly excited about?

The future of textile conservation from process, materiality and skill lies within the hands and hearts of our practitioners and creators. The Registry of Sarees as a custodian of historical textiles can only share that which we learn from the stakeholders. We are excited to be creating a study on the history of design through textiles. We are excited about the catalogue, documentation and future iterations that are being planned and we are excited about finally being informed by the creators (artists, artisans and designers) of textiles, with whom the responsibility of textiles and its impact on the economy, environment and community rest.

A sneak peek into the exhibition….

Read more: At NGMA Mumbai, Sutr Santati curated by Lavina Baldota enmeshes heritage textiles with contemporary design sensibilities