Cities of You

System #6: Vumaaste (Avanti M)

20 x 16", Gouache and Colored Pencil on Paper

Vumaaste refers to a local tradition of creating kite-like devices made up of weightless wooden discs attached to countless strands of colorful thread. The ritual involves collecting a strand of thread from each member of a community, tying them together, and letting the weightless disc carry the collective braid to wherever the wind takes it. The final destination may vary. Some strands never stop, but continue to been seen flying through the clouds. Another distant village may happen upon a strand, add to it, and let it continue on its journey. Or a passing traveler may stumble upon a landscape strewn with the colors of a people.