Union Stewardettes

archive community weaving

At the beginning of the 20th century, a period of industrial uprising appears, while at the same time the labor movement in Greece begins to take shape. Collective subjects appear such as the Association of Raisin Workers of Aigio named “Mutual Aid”, in order to protect the financial and professional interests of female workers.

The project Union Stewardettes was created from the Association’s archives such as the members registration IDs,  the meetings records, the letters of correspondence with the Ministry of Labor, the payroll statements, and even women’s fingerprints instead of their signatures.

“Mutual Aid” is becoming visible as a network of working women. The cases that were archived are presumptions of a social necessity whose recording creates patterns. The project re-examines the patterns and their entanglements, using the practice of paperweaving. Weaving was associated with women’s chastity and housework safety, as opposed to the harshness and dangers of the “outside” world of work.

The artwork opens out the stories of women who have been members of the union, while unfolding a narrative of gender consciousness.

Exhibition virtual tour: https://primarolia.com/virtual_exhibition_2021.html

photoς: Christos Spanos // Primarolia © 2021

  • dimensions

    70 x 130 cm

  • exhibition

    A stitch in time saves nine - Primarolia 2021

  • curator

    Nansy Charitonidou, Vasilis Psarras

  • venue

    Aigio PaperFactory Garden, Primarolia Festival 2021

  • year

    2021

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