For this musical work form Sheila Chandra I experimented with different media to make the story I saw in this piece of music visible. After listening to it for the first time I got a picture of sewing machine in my head. But the music wasn't just monoton like a machine, it was much more vivid like the person who is standing behind this machine. In association with Sheila's Indian voice the music reminded me of millions of women who have to produce mass clothing in Asia for people in rich western countries.
I went to a clothing shop and quickly discovered a cheap white t-shirt on sale for one euro. A price where a piece of bread costs more than a t-shirt. And like so many clothes this t-shirt was also produced in Bangladesh, Asia. I wanted to give this hard produced piece of clothing and the persons behind it the real value back. So I bought this t-shirt and sewed the visualized rhythm of music on it to show how much working hours are behind producing a t-shirt like this. I sewed for three days and overall about 24 hours.
I went to a clothing shop and quickly discovered a cheap white t-shirt on sale for one euro. A price where a piece of bread costs more than a t-shirt. And like so many clothes this t-shirt was also produced in Bangladesh, Asia. I wanted to give this hard produced piece of clothing and the persons behind it the real value back. So I bought this t-shirt and sewed the visualized rhythm of music on it to show how much working hours are behind producing a t-shirt like this. I sewed for three days and overall about 24 hours.
For threads I choose typical known colorful colors of India which stand for different meanings. Orange stands for courage and sacrifice, red for love and beauty as well as fear and fire, pink for sweet femininity and the color of welcome, violet for suffering, sadness and worry and blue for sky, infinity and domestic peace. All issues that reflect these women and their fates. These brave women leave their home villages to move to the city and then work there for a starvation wage. They sacrifice themselves for their family and children. They sew the most beautiful clothes for us, which makes us feel very special, but they have to produce them in impossible working conditions. The fear of being fired exists every day. They risk their life working in factories where a fire could break out every minute. Due to accidents like these some of them have already lost their loved ones. And after all the fear all they want is peace and to be together with their family. Sometimes just to see the blue sky above them, which can hardly be done with a seven-day week with 16 hours of work every day.