Urban Zen x NYTM

Tiago Valente partnered with Urban Zen by Donna Karan and New York Textile Month (NYTM) to present MONU'IA, a global research project about textile anthropology. The experience included the exhibition of an installation, together with a screening of a documentary about his journey through the islands of Vanuatu, in the South Pacific Ocean.

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Over the course of two months, Tiago lived and coexisted with four ethnic groups, located on different islands of the country. Each one one of these groups, presented a different level of exposure to what we understand now as modern civilization. The initial object of his study was to observe and understand the impact of this phenomenon on these groups and how this affected their interactions with the modern world.

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He went onto creating an abstract "textile painting" wall hanging for this project, upcycling discarded fabric from fashion brands in Asia. Traveling through the country and ultimately displaying it wherever he travelled in Vanuatu.

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The documentary follows his adventure. What started as an Anthropological research expedition, ended up materializing into the most compelling an existential experience one could ever imagine.

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Watch the trailer of the documentary below.

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