CHAT’s flagship community programme Seed to Textile began with a special gift from India – indigo seeds. Since 2019, we have been bridging nature, textiles and art through participatory experiences such as farming, crafting and gallery practice.
This year, Hong Kong fashion designer Yeung Chin, Indian dance artist Neesha Jhaveri and Hong Kong choreographer Wong Sui Lun Alan take the lead. As Hong Kong’s fourth-largest non-Chinese ethnic group, the Indian community is inextricable from the fabric of the city. Together with Seeders – multigenerational members of the public – they blend sustainable fashion with contemporary dance inspired by Indian culture. Through cross-disciplinary activities, we trace resonances between human migration and botanical dispersal, reimagining coexistence amid rapidly changing social, cultural and ecological conditions.
In this Open Studio, participant can create block-printed patterns on fabric using natural colours. They may also try fitting themselves into sculpted garments, experience dance moves inspired by Indian culture and leave rhythmic footsteps on a fabric path. The outcomes of these collaborative efforts will be made into stagewear for a performance after the exhibition concludes, inviting reflections on the migratory experiences shared by humans and plants.