WHAAAT!?

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​​​From Real Stories to Spoken Portraits

Spoken Portraits is a creative journey where personal stories are transformed into visual and embroidered portraits.

Over six months (July–December 2025), the project explored what it means to live in Tilburg, its diversity, multicultural layers, and the identities shaped through everyday encounters.

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The Phases of the Journey

 

(Re)Connection
The journey began with four Tilburg residents. Through individual conversations, Laura (our storyteller), listened closely, gathering emotions, memories, and reflections. From these encounters, she crafted intimate narratives that captured each person’s life experience and their relationship with Tilburg.

 

From Story to Image
These written stories were then handed to Miguel (our visual artist). Interpreting each narrative through his own artistic language, he translated them into paintings, our unique Spoken Portraits.

 

Craft Tellers’ Rooms
The project then opened to a wider group of participants. In guided sessions, citizens came together to co-create embroidered versions of the portraits. These spaces became moments of connection, where hands worked, stories were shared, and new relationships emerged.

 

The Window
To celebrate the journey, The Window opened: an exhibition that evolved into an embroidery room and a hub for dialogue. It became a living space where visitors could experience, reflect, and take part in the ongoing story.

 

Follow the links and step into a journey shaped by voices, textures, and shared emotions.

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