• About the Event
• Workshop
• Location
• Costs and Tickets | Registration
• Munara Abdukakharova – Biography
• Image Gallery

In the LUNCH TALKS series, international artists, curators and other cultural professionals talk about their work, current challenges, and unconventional approaches to their exhibition and educational practice. After each talk, all guests are invited to a typical snacks and drinks from the respective countries presented.

Part of the festival programme 10 YEARS – 10 DAYS! to mark the 10th anniversary of Kunsthaus Dahlem

About the Event

In a conversation over embroidery, Munara Abdukakharova, a visual artist from Kyrgyzstan, will share how she blends traditional Kyrgyz materials and techniques with contemporary ideas and challenges. She will also lead a workshop in Ilme embroidery (chain stitch).

The language of the event is English*.

Moderation: Yevheniia Havrylenko (Curator, Kunsthaus Dahlem)

* Selected sections of the conversation will be summarised in German.

Workshop

Workshop for young people and adults. The offer is aimed at English-speaking visitors; facilitated guidance in German can be provided upon request. Registration is requested.

In the nomadic cultures of Central Asia, textiles were not only an everyday necessity but also a form of portable culture – easy to transport, they shaped the space of the yurt, the home in motion. Women embroidered felt rugs, cushions, blankets, bags – all the items that surrounded them in daily life and could be taken along. In this way, embroidery became a mobile carrier of memory: belonging, protection, wishes, and stories were passed on through stitches. Ornaments, motifs, and colours formed a visual archive that was handed down from generation to generation.

In this workshop, you will learn the technique of Ilme – a traditional Kyrgyz chain stitch – and, together with Munara Abdukakharova, explore how it can be used as a medium of contemporary expression. Using Ilme embroidery, you will be able to personalize your garment and thus create your own fragment of the Book of Nomads – a piece that carries meanings in motion. You may choose to embroider a word, a phrase, or a symbol that resonates with your personal experience – or a dedication you would like to later give to a friend or family member.

Please bring an item from your wardrobe – something you wear, such as a piece of clothing, a fabric tote bag, or another textile accessory you would like to work on during the workshop.

Location

Waldraum (Forest Room) in the garden

Costs and Tickets | Registration

All anniversary events are free of charge for all visitors.

Registration is requested and can be completed HERE.

Munara Abdukakharova – Biography

Munara Abdukakharova is a visual artist and architect from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Her multidisciplinary practice explores forms such as embroidery, printmaking, and graphic art, often using materials like felt and everyday textiles. She blends traditional Kyrgyz techniques with contemporary themes related to urban life, environmental issues, and social pressures, working with unconventional canvases like the toshok, a traditional floor mattress. Embracing randomness in her process, Abdukakharova lets found materials guide her compositions. Her work has been exhibited in exhibitions across Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States.

Instagram: @moon_abdu

IMAGE GALLERY