Sound Carpet 

Community sound installation
Year: 2023 - 2024 

Everyone listens differently, our perception of sound is unique. Sound Carpet is a community project about different ways of listening to the Lombok neighbourhood. It weaves together fields recordings on cassettes and embroidery of what Lombok means to us, what we notice when walking through the neighbourhood and what we want to voice.


From November 2023 to January 2024, I organised several workshops with community members and De Voorkamer’s Crafting with Textiles group. We listened, recorded, composed and embroidered sounds from Lombok neighbourhood. The recordings on the cassettes were taking during two soundwalks. When we go for a sound walk in community, we can get closer to others’ perception of the world. Via attuning to the soundscape, we attuned to each other.


The embroidery on the wall carpet is inspired by the recordings we took during the soundwalks. Community members from the weekly Crafting with Textiles group were invited to trace with needle and thread what came to mind when listening to the recordings.


Now we are inviting you to listen to the cassettes and take a soundwalk in the neighbourhood. Which sounds draw your attention, bring up memories and do you connect with?

The people that made this project special are many! Making this work is the result of the collective participation, creativity and support of more than 50 people. Some of you shaped took part from the beginning to the end of cooking this project, some of you contributed here and there some flavours. What matters is that everyone shaped our experience in unique ways. THANK YOU for that!

Special gratitude goes to:

Ana, Fernandes, Hani, Joseph, Juliette and Nima who made a composition for the cassettes. Oliva and Philine for hosting the weekly Crafting with Textile sessions at De Voorkamer, Renata for giving us a taste of the world of knitting machines, Fiona and Meghann for introducing me to De Voorkamer, Yetunde and the cooking group for the magic that you create in community kitchens. Betina and Juliette, design coordinators of the residency, for being there to think together, to sea more clearly in moments of fogginess and always feel supported along the way. To the Voorkamer and everyone working and volunteering there for being who you are, working on making a space for connection, curiosity and playfulness. A place where everyday life gets to feel more magical and where we meet each other in our differences and sameness!