THE MEOC ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM OLIVA CARTA CANNAS AND THE AAAPERTO OF AGGIUS

| by Barbara Pavan |
Images ph.credit Chiara Marci

The MEOC Oliva Carta Cannas Ethnographic Museum, the largest in Sardinia, preserves a rich heritage of testimonies of textile activity deeply rooted in the culture of this town in Gallura. So much so, in fact, that the reconstruction of the stazzo—the typical ancient Gallurese house—presented within the museum, is hosted inside the restored and renovated building that once housed the first textile school. The recognitions and certificates of merit awarded to the school are on display inside the museum itself.

The exhibition path showcases testimonies of domestic life and local productions, traditional and historical costumes, and above all, the art of weaving—especially carpets. Here, the tools and techniques used over the centuries to prepare typical fabrics are collected and illustrated, from the spinning and warping of wool to the natural dyeing of fibres using native herbs and plants.

In the weaving room, visitors can also witness demonstrations of the production of Aggese carpets—of which the MEOC hosts a permanent exhibition—renowned for their quality and distinctive decorative patterns. The tradition linked to this production is still very much alive, with three active workshops still operating in the historic centre of Aggius, including one located directly within the Ethnographic Museum.

Weaving and carpets are part of the identity, the history, and also the future of the town, which has successfully inherited and continued the legacy of interventions by the great Maria Lai on the territory. This production has been carried forward from its traditional roots into the realm of contemporary art. The textile artifact has thus become a work of art, whose presence extends beyond the MEOC into the streets of the town through the AAAperto—an open-air museum trail inspired by Lai herself, who worked in Aggius on several occasions and who, following the project Essere è tessere (“To Be is to Weave”)—a collective art event held here on July 26, 2008—donated to the town the 14 stylised aluminium looms that form the first nucleus of works displayed along the trail.

Over time, additional works by contemporary artists connected to the territory have been added, and now span the entire town. The entire collection currently consists of 46 works and is still evolving. Testimonies of Maria Lai’s interventions in Aggius are also preserved within the MEOC and in the municipal buildings.

Visitors can follow the various museum trails—red (Essere è tessere by Maria Lai), green (Where There is Thread, There is a Trace) dedicated to photography, and blue (Contemporary Art)—guided by painted footprints in the corresponding colours along the streets of the historic centre and marked on the ‘map’ provided to museum visitors.

http://www.museodiaggius.it/en/