PULP (2019)

Through their collaborative work PULP, Aimée Zito Lema and Elisa van Joolen reflect on the lifespan of a garment, taking into account both the immaterial memory of a piece of clothing as well as its physical presence, its materiality. Central to the project Pulp is the idea of transformation.

Pulp was developed in collaboration with children aged between eight and ten years old from the elementary school ‘t Twiske in Amsterdam Noord. They brought their old and discarded garments to school, which they then cut into new garments under the guidance of Aimée Zito Lema and Elisa van Joolen. This brought the kids a great sense of joy; after all, the cutting up of clothing is not something that is usually allowed.

With help of paper factory De Middelste Molen in Loenen the cut-up garments were ground up, using an ancient paper making technique that turns rags into paper. During a second workshop at ‘t Twiske the sheets of paper that were created by the factory were transformed into new garments by and for the kids. (excerpt text: Hanka van der Voet)

PHOTOGRAPHY KIDS PORTRAITS: Eveline Renaud / PHOTO DOCUMENTATION OF WORKSHOP: Behnam Bornak / SILKSCREEN PRINTING: Isfrid Angard Siljehaug / PHOTO DOCUMENTATION INSTALLATION: Gert Jan van Rooij / PAPER MAKING: De Middelse Molen / WORKSHOP ASSISTANTS: Anouk Beckers, Stijn Pommée, Anouk de Kruiff. / THANK YOU: Christiaan Bastiaans, Ellen Draper, Tonnie Nieuwland, Zoe Pingel, Catoo Kemperman, Gleb Maiboroda and biggest thank you to all participating children. / COMMISSION: Nieuw Dakota Amsterdam, 2019.