Own our own time I-IV

Own Our own time is an art project that started in 2010. I wanted to examine the possibility to catch sight of time in a physical form. A time linked to the human body in the form of monumental knitting.

Since 2011, four perfomances have been carried out at various places in the world. For one hour a large group of knitters meet and save a unique moment together. The participates form a large circle, a scene. This enables collaboration with other forms of art as Faroese dance, accordion, radical feminist folk music, modern dance. The different expressions of people's capacity to create good acts are fantastic and without an end.

The project started with 80 women who sat in different places in the world and saved time in the form of beautiful red knittings. On a meadow by the sea in Gjogv on the magical Faroe Islands started a project that is still ongoing. The pictures show the performance where each session has been a powerful experience. In this blog, you can follow the project emergence and also take note of other knittings inspired by Own Our own time.

2015 Own our own time IV Textile Museum Boras Sweden photo: Jan Berg

2014 Own our own time III Swedish Institute Paris France Photo: Vinciane Verguethen

2013 Own our own time II Shetland Textile Museum Lerwick Shetland photo: Austin Taylor

2011 Own our own time I Gavstriksymposium Gjogv Faroe Islands photo: Gunnar Bäckman

The yarn used in the performances has a direct connection to the place which is documented.

Read more about this in the blog.

Many thanks to all who have participated in this exciting journey.

The project continues.

Welcome to visit the blog.

Kerstin Lindstrom Harnosand Sweden January 2016

Own our own time IV - One hour Borås

Own Our own time IV was performed at the Textile Museum of Borås, Sweden, in October 2015.

The yarn used in all the performances included in the project Own Our own time have had a direct link to the different places. Boras is a city with a long textile history, where mills and dye houses were located along the river Viskan. For The performance in Borås a special yarn was produced to the event on the old spinning machines that are preserved at the Textile Museum http://textilmuseet.se/ . Viktoria Holmqvist from the museum dyed the yarn at the Swedish School of Textiles http://www.hb.se/Textilhogskolan/ with the help the dyeing unit AHIBA. Many beautiful colours were produced to document one hour Boras.

Photos: Victoria Holmqvist, Kerstin Lindström

To see time with the help of knitting

Own Our own time IV was performed at the Textile Museum in Borås, Sweden www.textilmuseet.se. 

83 knitters saved one hour Boras in the form of a monumental knitting on 10 October, at 13.00 -14.00 . 

For Own Our own time IV the choreographer Helena Lundqvist created a unique dance piece. The music during the hour consisted of a mix of sounds from the river Viskan which flows past the museum and recorded sounds from machines related to the textile industry. The sounds were processed and adapted to a dance performance by the the composer Tomas Elfstadius and was performed by the dancer Ulrika Liljedahl. 

The arrangement was a collaboration between the Textile Museum and RegionteaterVäst Dans in Borås.
Photo: Jan Berg

Performing rehearsal at Borås Textile Museum

Choreographer Helena Lundqvist and dancer Ulrika Liljedahl practice for Saturday's dance performance.
Swedish television follows the preparation,filming for the program "Sverige". http://www.svtplay.se/video/4526661/sverige/sverige-sasong-12-avsnitt-10-1

23 minutes from start.

Own our own time IV

Own our own time IV, Borås Textile Museum Sweden

From the Faroe Islands 2011 to Shetland 2013 and the latest stop at the Swedish Institute in Paris 2014 
Own our own time IV is going to be performaned in Sweden for the first time.

This time Own our own time IV collaborate with choreographer Helena Lundqvist,dancer Ulrika Liljedahl, Regionteaternväst Dans and 83 knitters. The performance will take place in the main exhibition hall at Borås Textile Museum. Inside the circle formed by the large knitting Ulrika Liljedahl is going to performe. Time is portrayed again in a new context.

 "The river Viskan makes a loop and float past, carrying stories about time and the flow of water and colours. About humans and machines need to split and measure. With knitting, movement and dance creates and recreates memories of the textile industry's history. "

The yarn is spun at the Textile Museum's own machines and many colours have been dyed by the museum staff in collaboration with the Swedish School of Textiles.

Welcome October 10th at 13:00

More information at www.textilmuseet.se

Want to participate in Own our own time IV?

If you are interested in participating in Own our own time IV October 10 at the Textile Museum in Borås, Sweden, sign up through the website www.textilmuseet.se . There is room for 83 knitters. Welcome!

Preparations, Own our own time IV

Preparing for Own our own time IV. 
This time in collaboration with the dancer and choreographer Helena Lundqvist. 
This performance is shown at the Textile Museum of Borås October 10 with support from 
Regionteater/ dans i Väst http://www.regionteatervast.se/rtvdans/

Own our own time IV, Textile Museum Borås, Sweden

Own our own time IV will be performed at the Textile Museum Borås, Sweden 
October 10, 2015 http://textilmuseet.se/. 
More info on the blog soon.

Green for GO! In Whalsay, Shetland

In the context of the various knittingperformances the participants also answer two questions. 

The answers from Paris and Own our own time III 2014, you can read here:

:http://knittingincircle.blogspot.se/2014/08/when-do-you-own-your-own-time-paris-2014.html

Through Amanda Pottinger in Whalsay the same questions were asked to the young participants 
in Whalsay, Shetland. Here are their interesting answers:

When do you Own your Own Time?

When reading or knitting....Knit, watch TV, surf the net, practice piano, listen to music...
When I’m swimming or knitting...Play on the X-box...Knitting, playing netball or hockey...
At night when I sit down with my knitting, the repetition and relaxation cannot be replicated!...
Sport, reading and playing outside...When I’m planning my next piece of knitting....
When I walk, swim, knit or garden...When sitting with a good book or knitting...
When spending time with family on outdoor trips around Shetlands coastline...
When I have the sitting room to myself, the TV to myself and my knitting.

What does the colour green mean to you?
Grass, lovely clean and fresh...Grass, trees, hills, leaves of flowers...
Whalsay, spring, summer, flowers, lambs and sheep...Grass....Summer flowers...
Springtime, daffodils, hill walks and peerie lambs...GO!...The first sign of grass and plants in spring...
Grass, Spring, Summer...Nature, particularly trees, variety of shades.... Spring...Springtime..
Freshly mown grass means spring has come and we have summer to look forward to....
Green means life, new growth.

photos: Amanda Pottinger, Ivan Reid and Vinciane Verguethen