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Recycling exercise with the
OrnaMental Maps technique

OrnaMental maps is a method to create half-consciously drawn geometric ornament on recycles objects based on a collection of ornaments.

If you or your organisation have tried out or applied this creative exercices within a workshop, please share your experience with us. You can also upload images and put link to your website or social media. 

Why to work with ornaments ?

Ornaments have dozens of different uses, functions and meanings broadcasting universal and very specific messages at the same time. Their main characteristics that make them apt to reuse and recycle :

  • they are free from ideology still they are closely connected to ethnic, religious or cultural identities

  • they can be adapted to many different material and digital artistic medias

  • there are easy and simple methods to create them even without having special artistic skills

  • creating them has a therapeutic aspect and a calming effect.

  • They are everywhere and it's possible to approach many different topics through them.

Ornaments are everywhere! Think about what they look like, how could things be turned into 2 dimensional geometric ornaments. 
Step 1 :
Take a walk outside in your own neighborhood and make some photos about anything that can be transformed into geometric ornament, such as drainers, fence, pavement, even wheels :
Step 2 :
Now look around at home. Pick up some objects such a piece of cloth, a book or anything else containing or representing geometrical ornaments. It can be an object with a personal story, which is important for you for some reason or something linked to your culture of origin. Such as this pillow with Hungarian folk patterns or this scarf embroidered by Syrian ladies. Take some photos  about these too.