Weaving the Future: A Collaborative Community Art Exhibition in Oxford

This exhibition documents the journey of fragment 87, a replica of a 17th-century Caucasian carpet, as it traveled across various Oxfordshire landmarks. Through community collaboration, the project explores themes of heritage, belonging, and cultural connection through shared art-making, film, and photography.

Weaving the Future is an international initiative led by the Museum for Islamic Art in Berlin that uses 100 fragments of a 17th-century Caucasian carpet as a catalyst for creative dialogue. MultakaOxford’s Youth Culture Club spearheaded the local exploration of fragment 87, which journeyed through major Oxford sites including the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers Museum. The project engaged intergenerational audiences through community Iftars, photography, and creative workshops, culminating in a collective effort to produce a unique, communal carpet. The final exhibition at Fusion Arts serves as a vibrant meeting point for these diverse experiences. The display features the original carpet fragment alongside the newly created collective textile, documentary photography, and short films produced by youth volunteers. This showcase invites reflection on the movement of people and objects across time, celebrating the power of curiosity and dialogue to build solidarity across different cultural histories before the fragment continues its international journey toward a full reunion in Berlin in 2027.

The exhibition is displayed in the Window Galleries at Fusion Arts and is accessible to the public. Visitors are encouraged to visit the space to view the display as part of the venue's wider exhibition programming.