Red Thread
Centrifug, Konsthall CMarch 2025
In March, we presented Red Thread, a reading and reflection space inspired by Sada Sada, the main exhibition at Konsthall C.
In Sufi shrines (dargahs), red threads are ritually tied to lattices (jali) or sacred trees as prayers or wishes (mannat), only to be untied once the wish is fulfilled. Deeply embedded in Sufi traditions across the Indian subcontinent, this practice embodies faith, devotion, longing, and gratitude. The red threads hold layers of sacred meanings, signifying both the scarcity and abundance of hope, the journey from seeking to fulfillment.
Across cultures, the red thread carries different meanings. In European traditions, it symbolizes a guiding thread that runs through stories and lives, weaving fragments into something whole. Whether in devotion or narrative, it traces a path toward fulfillment.
In Sufi shrines (dargahs), red threads are ritually tied to lattices (jali) or sacred trees as prayers or wishes (mannat), only to be untied once the wish is fulfilled. Deeply embedded in Sufi traditions across the Indian subcontinent, this practice embodies faith, devotion, longing, and gratitude. The red threads hold layers of sacred meanings, signifying both the scarcity and abundance of hope, the journey from seeking to fulfillment.
Across cultures, the red thread carries different meanings. In European traditions, it symbolizes a guiding thread that runs through stories and lives, weaving fragments into something whole. Whether in devotion or narrative, it traces a path toward fulfillment.
At Centrifug, Red Thread brought these ideas together across cultures and time. This exhibition created a space for reading and reflection, using the red thread from Sada Sada to invite visitors into a shared experience.
The writings and literature offered here explored themes that resonate with Sada Sada: grief, collective memory, displacement, and environmental crises, Sufi traditions and beyond. These covered topics such as sacred spaces, religion, environmental violence, healing, sonic resistance, and gender solidarity, many of which echo concerns within Sweden’s social landscape today.
On the collective reflection wall, visitors were encouraged to share their thoughts and engage with these ideas by responding to prompts, adding their insights to an ever-growing conversation. Responses gathered during the Sada Sada exhibition were also displayed, adding to this space of reflection and an ongoing dialogue.
The writings and literature offered here explored themes that resonate with Sada Sada: grief, collective memory, displacement, and environmental crises, Sufi traditions and beyond. These covered topics such as sacred spaces, religion, environmental violence, healing, sonic resistance, and gender solidarity, many of which echo concerns within Sweden’s social landscape today.
On the collective reflection wall, visitors were encouraged to share their thoughts and engage with these ideas by responding to prompts, adding their insights to an ever-growing conversation. Responses gathered during the Sada Sada exhibition were also displayed, adding to this space of reflection and an ongoing dialogue.
By gathering these threads of thoughts and experiences, Red Thread sought to be a space where art, reflection, and shared experiences intertwine, as well as a transient archive of stories, insights, thoughts, and connections, united by the invisible red thread of our collective presence.
Thank you to everyone who visited Red Thread, spent time in the space, talked with us, and shared your reflections! You can find the full reading list here, and if you’d like to see some of the thoughts from the exhibition, check out our Instagram.
Thank you to everyone who visited Red Thread, spent time in the space, talked with us, and shared your reflections! You can find the full reading list here, and if you’d like to see some of the thoughts from the exhibition, check out our Instagram.
