Kayla Bain
Unraveling Auchincruive: A Centre for Diasporic Arts
Auchincruive: A Centre for Diasporic Arts Main Perspective
Our project aims to celebrate cultures from across the globe into one landscape and center of collectivity.
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Our project will attempt to create not only a place for visitation where the landscape is experienced but additionally a place of activity, where one can delve into activities central to multiple cultures.
Chapter 1 and 2 focus on themes of labor, slavery, immigration and exploitation, with racism acting as the common thread. Considering this, the proposal aims to celebrate immigrants and encourage cross-cultural exchange. It symbolically reclaims the land and alters it to provide immigrants with a place of belonging. Furthermore, the proposal aims to develop nonextractive relationships with the landscape.
The design proposal is consists of a landscape intervention and three pavilions. The pavilions are: dyeing and printing, weaving and a gallery pavilion. These activities are chosen as they are sociable and communal activities in our cultures, them being Lebanon, The Bahamas and Oman. They are also common in cultures across South America, Africa and Europe. In general, the activities proposed in this center are more about gathering and the process of making than the end product. The project aims to encourage visitors, no matter what culture they are from, to engage with these activities and learn about cultures that they are not familiar with. The proposal also aims to implement an artist in residence program, where an artist from abroad visits to hold classes in the pavilion and share knowledge.
It is important to note that the demographics of Scotland show that 96% of the population is white, 2.6 % are Asian/ Asian British/ Asian Scottish, 0.7% are other ethnic groups, 0.5% are African and 0.1% Carribean. It is evident that immigrants and POC are a minority and are misrepresented. The information found is generic and shows that POC have to be represented correctly, and not be categorized in vague groups. Representation and celebration of POC within the proposed center aims towards creating more cultural awareness in the community.
Collaborators: Roula Traboulsi and Reem Alkabani