English

We are SEED, we are MEMORY, we are CONSCIENCE, we are TODAY ... Most roads in society lead to paths that dont take you anywhere. Offcourse there is progress within society, but can we really speak of progress when its not in harmony with sustainability? Today the mere word 'progress' gets confused with the concept of modernization, and gets reduced to a very dangerous meaning that alludes only to economic development. This became evident when our world governors declared that the ecological progress, which after much effort has achieved some success, is economically unsustainable. In other words, economy seems to be the only progress permitted in society today. Who needs enemies with such leaders! Paradoxically enough there is, thanks to modernization, a broad knowledge today about our planets wellbeing. Acording to these facts the Earth isnt a bottomless reservoir of infinite resources as previously thought. We know better now, human activity needs regulations and this require a new approach to our greed for material possesions. Therefore, we, the street artisans, decided to go our own way and acquire other experiences in contrast to the materialist-centered experiences modern day society teaches its citizens. Obviously we make a cultural expression that deviate from mainstream principles. This is the deviation and this is how we express it.. Quipu Crafts first started as a meeting place for street artists living in Stockholm, but has ironically enough drifted back to its source and encloses now cultural attitudes from all parts of the world. In this collision, two seemingly identical expressions have interwoven and given rise to a completely new form of creativity and cultural exchange. Today, we are a network that wants to share our experiences and knowledge with you who still remembers that the handmade is priceless compared to the factory-made. What happened to me while I was doing something else:

At the least pretentious backyard, I encountered a middle-aged man who carefully had spread a blanket on the ground which he exposed his artwork on. He made monstrous necklaces that took up the entire trunk, pierced with feathers, bones and fossils. He did not seem to have any real concept of sellability, but rather a genuine appreciation of natural objects and their inherent value. Among these was a surreal jewelry that clearly stood out among the others. It was a necklace of galactic proportions, decorated with red Spondylus around, and a small rust-colored metal figure in the middle. I asked about the little figure, and after a moment of aimless staring, he told me that it was a Huaco. A Huaco is what Peruvians call antiquities from the old world order. When I asked how much it was, he said that it was not for sale! A humble artisan who live from hand to mouth, not trying to sell a clearly more expensive artwork to an interested customer, was astounding. After reviewing his work, I chose a sea lion tooth wrapped in knots of black & red. A brand new admiration began to grow in me for those people. A small seed of longing was planted in my chest that night.

And when I asked the little dragonfly she said:

For some of us, ART is an act of defiance and has become an effective defense against the persistent claws of the establishment.

Most street artists have a similar story: they're on the road, broke and freedom-loving. They are young and old from all over the world, navigating back and forth through it with barely a dollar in their pocket, but with a relentless belief in themselves. Anyone who chooses to become a street artist, no matter if its just for a summer or a lifetime, is forced by adventure, freedom, simplicity, and the belief that the current super-industrialized world is grossly overrated. A work of art should thus generate beauty from all its components, and not just from its fast-fading optical attractivness, as the factory-produced only consists of. For many, ART itself has become the way out. Each work of art, whether it is an exceptional graffiti painting or a macrame necklace of galactic proportions, it gives its creator the possibility to cope with the living costs and thus maintain their freedom from a full-time job and the typical expectations society entangles its citizens with. Many street artists are convinced idealists that sincerely give themselfs over to the rigorous discipline of crafting. Thanks to them the street art has flourished lavishly and are alone responsible for the big diversity of cultural and artistic expressions we see today. These are people who live under the bottom layer of society, living from one day to the next, without a bank account, home or car, with only their brotherhood and their tools as companionship.  Others choose this lifestyle for the sake of travelling, creating primarily to fund travel expenses for the next unknown place that awaits them just around the corner. And all of them, and this seemes so unlikely to me for people living on the street, are carrying in their packs the treasures of the world.

Carefully wrapped in broken cloths you can find in the packs of these wandering nomads Guacamayo feathers, monkey skulls, pelican bones to make Quenas with, fossilized megalodont teeths, anaconda ribs, Lapis lazuli stones from Chile, sea lion teeths from the notorious animal cemeteries, rodochrosite cabochons and amethyst crystals, rainbow Obsidians, fossilized wood from the petrified forests, emeralds from Colombia, red amber from the Mexican jungle, wayruro and achira seeds from the Amazonic lowlands, and hundreds of other items that were found, unearthed on its own, changed or purchased primarily from lapidaries, fishermen, miners and natives. Their lack of physical, economic and emotional ties, is what makes it possible for them to continue their story. The ongoing travel gives them a global perspective only available through the journey itself, enriching themselfs with experiences of different cultures and adventures they otherwise only would have read about in books and magazines. Their possessions, which is reduced to only what fits in their packs promotes simplicity. Living with so little possessions and money brings simplicity and humility to those stubborn souls. The street performers who crossed my path, are those who deny status quo, and are those who have decided to acquire other experiences than those which society has at its disposal. These people are those who I have had the honor to meet, learn from, grow with and ultimately live with. And yet, the street artists has more to offer than just beautiful objects in their diverse variations of design, color, stone & bone selection. Their artwork is ultimately just a tool. They give their creators the opportunity to dwell in traditional bohemian values. Thanks to their creations the artist can choose a path that unites him with truth, love and freedom. But there is a certain kind of freedom. The freedom to travel, to make art, and to live by the strength and courage of their heart and ability of their hands. Its a way of expressing simplicity and joy. It also expresses a genuine love for the handmade, which is the traditional approach for development and sustainability of human societies. It is an act of defiance, which shows how little they care about expensive cars or cheap imported goods of plastic. The idea is to find a credible vision of how we can flourish within our planet's ending resources and NOT outside it. Finally, it is and will always be the human instinct to revere beauty.