Silat

Silat is the result of ongoing collaborations between Grupo Thañí, an organized group of Wichí female weavers from Salta, a province in northern Argentina, and Guido Yannitto, who is also from Salta. Grupo Thañí emerged in 2015 because of community demands and an effort by government authorities and allies to incentivize economies around artisanal practices, foster innovative techniques, designs and textile uses, as well as to empower women in Wichí communities who are the carriers of these traditions to receive a fair wage. This particular art work emerged out of exchanges between Yannitto and the weavers, who discussed themes and references to include in the final textile piece. The main theme is water, whether it be through the hydrographic map at the center of the textile, or the many creatures that belong in and around surrounding rivers, such as birds and mermaids. The chosen title, Silat (notice, information, alert, notice, announcement, or warning), is a message: “for all those who do not know us, or do not know that there are indigenous Wichí women who work in handicrafts, and that there have always been, since our ancestors. That we are here, present.”