Entwined Matters
Date: August 2024 Location: Valga, Estonia Material: Off-cut textile Collaborator (Material provider): Aclima Organiser: VARES Project Partner: Tartu 2024, European Capital of Culture Production: PAN- PROJECTS & VARES Photo / Video: Yuta Sawamura Video Music: Aya Yoshida Video Sound Design: Mai Sukegawa
Entwined Matters reworks textile by-products from clothing factories into ropes through a simple and repeatable technique. Each off-cut carries its own texture and character, resulting in ropes that are inherently varied and specific. While these textile by-products are typically fragile and discarded, the process of twisting and intertwining them increases their strength, transforming them into durable material elements. What was once considered residual matter is repositioned as a usable resource through a change in handling. The method is intentionally straightforward and learnable, allowing the technique to be shared and reproduced. By combining an accessible process with existing material flows, the project reframes textile by-products as a starting point for new forms of use, rather than an endpoint of production.
Entwined Matters transforms textile off-cuts from the fashion industry into ropes through a process of twisting and intertwining. Rather than shredding the material, which reduces its value, the project preserves the original patterns, colours, and textures of each fragment. As a result, every rope retains a distinct material identity while gaining strength and durability. The project was presented in Know the Ropes, an exhibition developed as part of the VARES architecture residency within the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 programme. It was installed in a former district office building in Valga, Estonia, where the existing, weathered interior provided a direct context for the reworked materials. The textile off-cuts used in the exhibition were sourced from a local factory producing garments for the Norwegian brand Aclima. Rope is one of the earliest constructed tools, historically used for binding, lifting, and building. Entwined Matters builds on this lineage by applying a simple and accessible technique to contemporary industrial by-products. The process requires no specialised machinery and can be learned and reproduced easily, allowing the material to be reworked without altering its inherent qualities. By treating textile off-cuts not as waste but as a starting point for construction, the project proposes an alternative approach to material reuse. It establishes a direct link between existing production systems and new forms of application, positioning by-products as active components in design rather than residual outputs. Entwined Matters continues to develop through collaborations with manufacturers and designers, exploring how different types of textile by-products can be reintroduced into use across various contexts.
