Made in Baishizhou,
UABB Biennale, China, 2016

A collaboration with a knitting factory in the urban village of Baishizhou for the UABB Biennale in Shenzhen. The exhibition was a collaborative design process to give the workers in the factory an opportunity to express themselves, their situation and their dreams.

This exhibition was designed and produced in collaboration with 11 textile workers from the M&L factory in Baishizhou and 16 students from Shenzhen University’s Department of Architecture. The project addressed the social and human aspects of working on the production line of global fast fashion. By reclaiming the entire process—from design to production—the factory workers created individual textile installations for the exhibition, expressing their relationships with the fabrics they make, articulating their own situations and concerns about the pending demolition of the urban village of Baishizhou. Supported by the students, the workers stepped out of their comfort zones to voice their opinions, building long-lasting relationships and collaborations that extended beyond the exhibition itself. The process inspired some workers to receive additional training and engage with other aspects of textile production. Additionally, the workshop motivated Design Society—the new design museum in Shenzhen—to partner with the factory workers on future projects.

Team: Alexander Eriksson Furunes, Ivar Tutturen & Lucy Bullivant
Partners: dotA architects, Shenzhen University and M&L knitting factory
Sponsors: DOGA & The Royal Norwegian Consulate General in Guangzhou