This community workshop took the form of a traditional ‘șezătoare’—a gathering for craft and storytelling—to reconnect the neighbourhood around FABER with its textile heritage. Held during an August festival, former textile workers and locals used reclaimed materials from the 1 Iunie factory to create a communal rug on a traditional Romanian loom, brought from a village in the Apuseni Mountains. Under the guidance of two retired weavers from the factory, participants prepared and wove the fabric, each attaching a label with their name to their contribution. Participants shared memories of the factory’s role not just as a workplace, but as a vital social institution that included daycare, sports, and community activities.
The loom was a living installation, which is why we invited the visitors, during the exhibition, to take a piece of textile woven on 1 Iunie Factory and contribute to this tapestry of memories.
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The Loom
The loom was made in 1959 by carpenter Francisc Mahala and comes from Bologa, Cluj, thanks to Florica Potra and Mărioara Molnar.
It was installed in Timișoara for this programme with the support of Nicu Potra, Maria Potra, Cristina Potra-Mureșan, Matei and Tudor Mureșan, Edith Lazăr, and Lica Antonică, as well as Pavel David Spăriosu Secoșan from Uzdin, Serbia.
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