Almajlis: The Woven Echo, 2024

Asmaa Aljohani’s Almajlis: The Woven Echo (2024) is an electronic textile art installation that creates an interactive audiovisual experience within a meeting space. Inspired by the majlis, or gathering places in Saudi Arabian homes, the artwork captures real-time conversations and displays the audio data on electronic fabric in the form of color and light.

Aljohani uses a handloom to weave optical fibers into six pieces of electronic textile. Accompanied by acoustic sensors, these textiles form a unique area for people to meet and interact in. As the visitors engage in Aljohani’s majlis, the pieces light up in various colors according to the frequency of their voices, reinforcing the role of the textile in reflecting individual and group identities.

Through the newly commissioned installation, the artist encourages the viewer to derive their own reflections on space, memory, and social dynamics.