Woven Sounds \ Nava-haye Baftan (2023) Mehdi Aminian

The “Woven Sounds“ is a project by Mehdi Aminian which represents a scholarly and artistic initiative that transcends documentation work. It aims to shed light on a lesser-explored facet of the weaving craft. Its objective is to present a distinct dimension of weaving that remains largely unfamiliar to many, accentuating the remarkable singing styles and music genres interwoven within the process of carpet weaving in Iran. By synergizing research, documentation, and artistic expression, the “Woven Sounds“ project aims to offer a multilayer exploration of this cultural tradition. The film focuses on documenting the singing cultures directly (Pattern Singing) and indirectly (folk songs, lullabies) connected to the weaving process in Iran. Naqshe Khani (Pattern Singing) is a unique practice where the patterns of the carpet are sung to co-weavers. This highly endangered cultural heritage has been a widespread tradition in Iran with a complex lexicon and diverse musical structure varying by region. To date, no comprehensive documentation, studies, or presentations on this topic have been found and the present documentary is an attempt to record this vanishing intangible heritage. Mehdi Aminian has been investigating this topics in various regions of Iran over the past years for the purpose of his PhD at the University of Vienna.