Process: Embedded stories

To embed/embroider stories in the ‘tongues’ of the Tongue Rug is not incidental. As I was researching Swedish arts & crafts, I came across the sladdakavring: a patchwork quilt made of ‘tongues’ often in the form of a rug.

"Small pieces were cut out in the shape of a tongue and stitched around the edges with beautiful thread. In the center, a figure would be embroidered, such as a glass, a house, or an animal." — Old Swedish Quilts, Asa Wettre, Interweave Press, 1995. p.20

Lake of the Woods Tongue Rug, 36'' x 44'' c. 1930, collection of Julie Lapalme
(Old suit material hemmed with red & tan fabric onto burlap bags from
Lake of the Woods Milling Company, Limited, Keewatin, Ontario.)

These rugs are not unique to Sweden. The Musée des arts et traditions populaires du Québec also has a few ‘tapis à langues’ using the appliqué technique. The verb ‘appliquer’ can take many forms: s’appliqué à (travail) means to apply oneself to a task and s’appliqué à faire means to take pains to do something. The tongue rug then seemed the ideal ‘archiving device’: the overlapping tongues acting as metaphor of oral traditions and capable of storing memories and tales. The tongues are also suggestive of a mother tongue and vernacular expressions.

Example of ‘tongue’ icon which will act as a hotspot to navigate to another space.

Marie-Christiane Mathieu wrote a text about Stéphanie Lagueux’s Corps social and my own Tongue Rug project entitled "Œuvres en processus pour publics en développement" [Works in progress for publics in development] for the Spring 2003 issue of Espace magazine. In describing the two projects, she describes the audience as a potential co-auteur – co-authors. Without the participation of the desired audiences, the Tongue-Rug — a latent virtual sculpture — does not become ‘real’.

One thing I learned from my last Web project, Orphan Train - Trained Tales, is that it is not enough to put up an on-line form for the public to feel compelled to interact. And so it is important that I develop ways to engage potential audiences to participate.

In response to this, the on-line Parlour Room acts as a place of exchange as the parlour was traditionally used for receiving people. In fact, the Tongue Rug was often placed in the room as a centerpiece for conversation.