A digital environment is a natural reflection of a physical environment. I think of a Sahelian network of wares on camels as an embodied network of hardware connected to each other through movement. When scaled up, this network is an internet of sorts, with growth through connectivity and the build up of organic social networks.

We are creating a comprehensive digital tool, the I.AM.ISIGO digital mystery system, to bridge the physical-digital divide and preserve and disseminate knowledge of ancient and endangered weaving techniques in Africa. Our project is based on I.AM.ISIGO's extensive research in remote African artisanal communities, aiming to map these significant cultural practices. The tool serves as a digital archive, preserving intricate knowledge systems for future generations, and as an interactive platform for audiences to learn weaving patterns. Our goal is to bring these ancient practices into the present, connecting these archives to the digital network, and blurring lines between science, spirituality, and creative practice.

Our methodology spans urban to rural scopes, leading us away from the source community to manufacturing and export cities, documenting these material cultures in a decolonized manner. We focus on West Africa and cities like Dakar, Abidjan, Lagos, Accra, Lomé, and Cotonou. We'll also explore secondary sites of fibre growing, production, and consumption.

We aim to document previously inaccessible practices surrounding weaving traditions, gain critical understanding of how these materials are processed and used, archive these for future use, make weaving more approachable, bring the knowledge of these techniques to a global audience, unearth ancient systems of governance, challenge the concept of a "finished" good, give a voice to traditional fabrics of Africa, and research the entire supply chain for each of these material knowledge systems.