24. Earth Dyed Resistance Flags and Rite for Mutualism Costumes
Foraging and plant dying cloth for the ritual “Rite for Mutualism’ became a form of
resistance and protection. We foraged intentionally for our plant allys in Ziegerstrasse, further mapping an energy-field for the ritual. Wild hopps, mugwort and cleavers were some of our lively collaborators.
Weeds as boundary disruptors; bursting through pavement cracks, enveloping ruins and climbing around metal gates; exist in-between the margins of our progressive capitalist system. Corresponding with the beyond-human inhabitants of Ziegerstrasse, a cultural space increasingly vulnerable to gentrification, echoes what it means to become-with in the process of seeking refuge.
Capturing the shadows of these interactions on cloth, echoes the symbiotic spirit of the more-than-human. This cloth carries the lore of the land and acknowledges migration as an earth-law.
The costumes for the performers of the Rite for Mutualism were produced in a series of collaborative sessions together with the young participants of BILDUNGSMANUFAKTUR’s sewing workshop, normally led by Abdel Amine Mohammed. Guided by Ama Luma and Abdel amine Mohammed, the small group of variously experienced tailors developed several skirts, each with its own unique design. All the costumes are made from upcycled fabrics from past LIOS Labs residencies, previous rituals, and family heirlooms. Each garment carries layered histories and stories, reflecting intercultural collaboration, collective imagination, and the ritual’s ethos of connection and care.
LIOS Labs is a cultural association and translocal community of artists, activists, and researchers exploring ecological imagination and peer-to-peer education. The collective emerged in 2019 following a formative encounter with the Błędowska Desert in Poland, a landscape marked by desertification that became both the starting point and the living heart of the initiative. Today, LIOS Labs operates as a distributed network connected through residencies, outdoor laboratories, workshops, and gatherings.
The collective develops methodologies for learning-with and creating-with ecosystems affected by ecocide and environmental degradation. Through long-term collaboration, cohabitation with land, and experimental forms of co-creation, LIOS Labs reimagines relationships between human and more-than-human communities. A central strand of its research is the ritual: rituals are approached not as reenactments of fixed traditions, but as a living methodology, a collective tool for reorienting attention, restoring relational awareness, and rehearsing mutual care. Rooted in the ancient concept of ṛta — “that which sustains” — rituals become a gesture of gratitude, a choreography of interdependence, and a shared act of reconnecting with the living systems we are part of.
Laraja (UK, born 1994) is the artist name of Lara Ansell. Laraja is a multidisciplinary artist and bodyworker alchemising ritual performance and shadow capturing techniques through earthy-rooted technologies. This research explores ruptured realms through somatic experiencing to (re)activate beyond human transmissions and forces. Fluid embodiment and radical imaginaries function as mystical tools of storytelling and rupture.
Ama Luma (FR & CG, born 1993) is a multidisciplinary artist and the founder and designer of Amaluma Studio, a Berlin-based sustainable brand focused on upcycling through fashion, accessories, and creative workshops. Her work combines craftsmanship, sustainability, and storytelling, drawing inspiration from her French-Congolese heritage and a commitment to creating meaningful, one-of-a-kind pieces from reclaimed materi
Abdel Amine Mohammed (TG, born 1975) is an activist with a background in administrative sciences, political science and French philology as well as a trained tailor, specialised in African embroidery (Broderie africaine). His work focuses on critical development and racism theories, German colonial history and anti-racist education. His activities include running empowerment workshops for black people and people of colour, as well as whiteness awareness seminars for the white majority society, especially in relation to the topics of work/employment, migration and community networking.
BILDUNGSMANUFAKTUR is a project by S27 – Art and Education that has been running since 2010, significantly growing and developing over time. Thanks to applied workshops with experienced artists, artisans and designers, vocational orientation and support from a team of social workers, young people who do not have access to the traditional educational system have the chance to stabilise, regain confidence, discover their potential, acquire new skills and develop a positive outlook.
The artistic workshops of BILDUNGSMANUFAKTUR range from small-scale design productions testing different techniques and materials (metal, wood, clay, fabrics, plastic) to cooking and catering to large-scale stage design and set building.