Bouchra Khalili  

Sea-Drift

The TextielLab has been well represented at the Salone del Mobile in Milan for years. In 2024, we also debuted at the Venice Biennale with several works made in the lab. One of these was Bouchra Khalili’s Sea-Drift. The tapestry was shown in the Arsenale, the Biennale’s second venue, and was embroidered by product developer Frank de Wind. The tapestry is part of The Mapping Journey Project, a multi-year exploration of the personal experiences of refugees and stateless people – and an excellent fit for the Biennale’s theme ‘Foreigners Everywhere’.

A matt white Madeira embroidery thread with a ceramic core was used to chart the perilous journeys refugees make from West Africa to the Canary Islands. These routes correspond with the old indigo routes. Khalili’s decision to dye the blue linen backing cloth with natural indigo reflects this. The design measures 3.10 metres by 1.56 metres. As only 50 cm of fabric can be embroidered at a time, the challenge was to perfectly align the different migration routes.

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Photos by Sharjah Art Foundation