TEZGAH

An ongoing performance project in which a traditional weaving loom is transformed into an electronic and acoustic instrument. Performed by Saba Arat, Karlo Sono and Tarxun.

Tezgah has several meanings in Turkish, including workbench or working apparatus. A weaving loom is dokuma tezgahı, though among weavers it is simply called tezgah.

History

Tezgah centres around a 45+ year old weaving loom from Ortahisar, Turkey. The loom was built for my first weaving teacher Hatice, by her grandfather and was used for her own weaving at home.

After many years stored in her attic, Hatice set up the loom again when I asked her to teach me to weave in 2020. Together with her daughter Reyhan, also a weaver, she taught me over a period of five months, during which we completed a kilim together.

I later bought the loom from Hatice and brought it to Berlin, where it became the loom on which I produced many of my early kilims.

From Loom to Instrument

The project began in 2024 when Karlo Sono and I decided to develop the entire structure into a playable instrument, and leave the latest textile unfinished on the loom.

Karlo integrated piezo elements, allowing the textile and loom to be amplified and played through their vibrations and acoustic sounds. Later on I weaved string piezo elements directly inside the textile. Conductive areas woven into the textile create multiple touch sensitive points, adding another layer of electronic control.

Tarxun later joined the project, developing a generative sound system connected to these touch points, where incoming MIDI information produces changing sonic responses rather than triggering a fixed sequence of sounds.

The textile itself remains unfinished. I continue weaving it between and during performances, so the instrument gradually changes with every iteration. Eventually, through the process of performing Tezgah, the kilim will be completed.

Performance

Tezgah is performed by Saba Arat, Karlo Sono and Tarxun. I weave and play the loom simultaneously, moving between its acoustic sounds, woven piezos and touch sensitive areas, while Karlo and Tarxun live mix, process and respond to the resulting sound.

The performance is highly improvisational. The actions at the loom, live processing and generative sound system continuously influence one another, making each performance different.

Photos by Mirka Pflueger from Transmediale 26