saharawis

2010-07-07T03:05:00.000-07:00

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http://floriesalnot.com/

florie@floriesalnot.com
00 44 (0) 7 943 783 522

Introduction

2009-04-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

Contribute to Saharawis empowerment through product design

To design a way to empower the Saharawis to produce some objects by utilizing the resources available in the camps.

The two aims:

-To enable the Saharawis to express themselves, their culture and identity which have been threatened by years of conflict with Morroco.

-Enable the Sahrarwis to generate an income.

For this project, I have developed:

-A technique to recycle plastic bottles

-Some tools

-Some samples of possible outcomes

Then, I gave shape to it by organising a workshop in the Saharawi refugee camp of Dakhla (Algerian desert), in April 2009.

About this blog:
Even though this is a blog, it doesn' t work exactly as usual. Each part should be read from the top to the bottom and not the opposite as it is usually the way to do it.

Saharawis

2009-04-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

Current situation:

Over half of the Saharawis live in exile in a barren and remote stretch of the Algerian desert. Here close to 200,000 have been refugees for more than 30 years, entirely dependent on precarious aid flows.

History with key dates:
The saharawi population used to be nomadic in Western Sahara (currently the South of Morroco).

Western Sahara is a previous Spanish colony (from the beginning of the 20th century).

1956 : Independence given to Morocco by France.

1975 : Franco’s death --> Independence given by Morocco.
The independence is given very quickly, the decolonisation is not prepared.

6 novembre 1975 : Marche verte.
Morocco annexes Western Sahara without any negotiation.
200 000 Saharawis have to leave their land and find exile in the Algerian desert.

1976: creation of Polisario (movement for Saharawis independence)

Polisario: Unique political party of the Saharawi state.

1978: First nationalist revendications.

1978 to 1991 : WAR

1980-1987: Building of the wall to protect the Moroccan’s positions

1991 : Cease-Fire

the workshop

2009-04-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

In the camps of Dakhla, I have taught the technique of the plastic bottles to 20 women.

Lala Samba

Betul Nava

Enguia Sidhamed

Sukkeïna Sidhamed

Warda Abdelfalh

Salembouha Mohamed

Lamira Bakri

Najma Mohamed

Mathu Sidha Ahmed

Cheah Bomba

Rhadija Abd Fetha

Sukkeïna Buseït

Minatu Brahim

Belha Ahmed

Maïmouna Sidi Ahmed

Hmeid Baï

Maïmouna Bobokar

Cheah Deihi

The workshop takes place in the Women's house.

Every morning and afternoon, Medhi, with his car, goes around the camp, which is really extended, to pick up the women participating in the workshop and drive them to the Women's house.

Few images of the women, taken during the workshop.

I quickly realise that most of the women are really motivated and work from home on their pieces of jewellery.

At the end of the three weeks we organise a small exhibition with the best works of all the women. Each of them is allocated a small area with her name to present her pieces of jewellery.

outcomes

2009-04-25T08:31:00.001-07:00

Before to go to the camps, I make my own pieces of jewellery that I used there as examples of what is possible to do with the technique.

Here are the pieces produced by the women during the workshop:

Maïmouna SidiAhmed

Cheah Bomba

Rhadija Abd Feta

Najma Mohamed

Lala Samba

Betul Nava

Maïmouna Sidi Ahmed

Betul Nava

Mathu Sidha Ahmed

Cheah Bomba

Lala Samba

Belha Ahmed

I had the ambition to show, during the workshop, the big range of outcomes possible to get thanks to the technique with plastic bottles. Unfortunately, I was running out of time for that. Though, I have succeeded to make few things with the children of my host family: Salem and Sidha.

technique

2009-04-25T08:30:00.003-07:00

First step: the bottles are painted and shredded.

Second step: a drawing is made with nails.

Third step: the thread of the plastic bottles is put around the nails and follow the drawing.

Fourth step: the plastic is plunged into hot sand.

As a consequence, the plastic shrinks onto the nails and keeps the shape of the drawing.

This technique permits to obtain any kind of shapes with the bottles.

Different tools used to shape the bottles:

continuation

2009-04-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

the brief

2009-01-18T12:58:00.001-08:00

technique/ possible outcomes

2009-01-18T09:51:00.000-08:00

The technique

The technique I have found requires very simple means and tools. It is a way to transform the plastic bottles using water and sand. Depending on the parts of the bottle used, it is possible to get a great diversity of little modules such as rings or wavy strips, tubes, balls etc.

The whole technique can be separated into different stages:

1) Chopping the plastic bottle into bits

2) transform them using water and sand
3) Using them in the structure of a piece of jewellery

Samples of outcomes produced in 2008:

The outcomes

Further developments of the technique, 2009:

This year, I'm carrying on experimenting with the technique, to find new kinds of outcomes.

Could I use the technique to print objects into the plastic?

A printed screw:

A printed bolt:

With the technique with sand and water, I can get some small cylinders. Could I use their solidity in a relevant product ?

http://www.batiproduitsmaison.com/bpm/files/ProduitPhoto/1489007566zoom.jpg

I try to make my own honeycomb sandwich...

New trials

saharawis and sandblast charity

2009-01-17T13:16:00.000-08:00

The plastic bottle jewellery project has been developed for the Saharawis refugees in a barren and remote stretch of the Algerian desert. Over half of the Saharawi population lives there since 1975 when Morocco invaded and illegal annexed their territory, the Western Sahara.

This project was initiated in my previous university (London Metropolitan) where I met Danielle, from the charity Sandblast.
On Sandblast website:
http://www.sandblast-arts.org/
you can find an extremely good introduction to the Saharawis, the conflict in Western Sahara, the refugees camps and also the problem of identity Saharawis people are facing. Indeed, after the first importance issues such as: getting water or food in the camps etc, Saharawis are facing the issue of loss of their culture and specificity which has been threatened a lot by the conflict.

the tools

2009-01-16T13:17:00.000-08:00

This year, I asked my tutors from the RCA (Daniel Charny and Roberto Feo) if I could incorporate this workshop in Western Sahara as part of my projects at the RCA. I asked them how I could carry on this year with this project.

What my tutors say:

-Try to think how the same process could be applied to another outcome (jewellery is now proposed, what else could it permit to make?) Could there be an object which would be even more related to their culture?

-Design some tools which could make the use of the technique easier.

-To develop a character that they would make (example of the string dolls: http://kamibashi.com/)

-While there, enrich the research of the Crisis project (see my blog CRISIS).

-Could this technique be taught to other people to help them as well?

January, 19 2009

We just had a meeting with some students of the university, interested in "Design for development". The idea would be to associate our efforts and ideas in this area of design to get more results.

There, I get some interesting links to look at on the web:

http://other90.cooperhewitt.org/

January, 22 2009

What could I do to make the technique with the plastic bottles more user friendly ?

The problems:

-the bottle necks are extremely difficult to cut

-It is difficult to get some stripes of plastic really regular

-Would it be possible to find a tool which would permit to cut some rings from the bottles?
January, 23 2009

A tool to cut some rings.

The first prototype is just a guide I put into the bottle and which I follow with my knife.

It works quite well, even though it is not really stable. As a consequence, the ring is not very regular.

Then, I have tried to modify the tool by putting the blade directly on it to cut from the inside. It works quite well but the problem of stability is even worst..

I'm planning to make a took which remains really simple: a thread rod with discs of different diameters (according to the diameter of the bottles).
diameters of the different bottles found in the Supermarket
Shandy Boss (2litters): 31cm
Sainsbury’s sparkling water: 25,7cm
Pepsi (2litters): 31,2 cm
Sainsbury’s classic cola: 30,8cm
Sainsbury’s lemonade:30,8cm
Coca Zero:31,2 cm
Fanta 31,2 cm
Orangina: 30,1cm
Dr Pepper: 31,4cm
Old Jamaïca ginger beer: 27,7cm
Sprite: 31,5cm
7up:31,2 cm
Lilt Pineaple and Grapefruit: 31, 3cm
Sainsbury’s diet pineaple and grapefruit: 30,7cm
Rwhites: 31,2cm

The bottle neck is very thick and therefore a particularly difficult part to cut.

I try to cut it by heating it: it works but the result is not clean.
Finally, I discovered this really nice tool usually used to cut metal tubes.

It is almost exactly adapted to cut bottle necks.

I will use this tool as it is. I will just have to make some cylinders to put inside the bottle neck while I'm cutting it, in order to prevent it to be flattened with the pressure.

I'm looking for different ways to cut the plastic of the bottles. I heat a piece of metal and cut the plastic with it.
It works quite well but it does not seem to be the easiest solution to use in the camps.

How to cut regular strips of plastic?

I got inspired by a tool usually used in cabinet making to mark points of reference on pieces of wood always at the same distance from the edge.

My trials are not really satisfying.

I finally bought a guillotine which I aim to adapt a bit to respond exactly to my needs.

Cutting two regular lines on a small piece of plastic.

the workshop

2009-01-16T07:24:00.000-08:00

The workshop will happen during the three first weeks of April 2009

The objectives of the workshops

1. To give the Saharawis an opportunity to express themselves, their culture and their know-how.

2. To give the Saharawis an opportunity to design and produce pieces of jewellery in order to sell them and generate an income.

3. To improve their environment by reducing litter in the area through the recycling of discarded plastic bottles.

4. To make the Saharawis appreciate more the value of production from recycled material from both an environmental and economic perspective.

5. To produce unique products resulting from the encounter between the Saharawi culture and a French designer who lives and studies in London. The project will be a great way for the Saharawis to share their culture and knowledge internationally. They will benefit from the designer’s know-how and solutions to kick start the whole process, to recycle their litter, to manage a project and help them to market it and sell it. For the designer, this will be a fantastic discovery of a people which has a difficult and painful history which it uses to express itself artistically. After having developed some jewellery models from her own, this will be incredibly interesting to see what design will emerge from this creative collaboration across two cultures. The project will not only be a fantastic multicultural artistic experience, but it will also be an experiment that could contribute and enrich ideas about the process of creation itself.

6. To raise awareness about the Saharawis’ condition, using what may be the most powerful tools: art and design.

Hard outcomes:

-30 people will be trained in the technique and have new skills needed to create jewellery produced with plastic bottles -The participants will have fine finished jewellery products to sell and generate an income

-This workshop will have laid the basis for running future workshops with the Saharawi refugee in cross cultural collaboration design and technical development.

Soft outcome:

-The participants will have gained confidence in developing their own aesthetic approach using a new technique.

After the workshop
This one month stay should result in the setting up of a permanent workshop. The pieces of jewellery designed during the one month workshop will be produced on a regular basis. A supply of material will be organised to carry on the production according to the success of this project, the interest of the people and the sales made. After the production launching, it will still be possible to develop new models for the jewels, namely thanks to the experience gained with the material.

comments and feedback

2009-01-15T13:18:00.000-08:00