#Workshop: Communal Braiding

Join Cassandra Mayela Allen for a communal braiding workshop, weaving memory and community into a new collective artwork.

Join Venezuelan textile artist Cassandra Mayela Allen for a communal braiding workshop presented as part of her exhibition Aquel Amplex. In this first of two participatory weaving sessions, attendees are invited to contribute directly to a new artwork created in the gallery of the Instituto Cervantes.

Since 2024, Mayela Allen has hosted communal braidings inspired by Indigenous practices, transforming individual stories into a shared narrative of reflection and cultural preservation. She brings this evolving practice to Aquel Amplex by collectively reworking a set of flags from the Instituto Cervantes into a new work of union. Rather than a utopian “activation” of the exhibition, these gatherings offer an invitation into the artist’s way of being—rooted in conversation, community, and mutual creation.

This workshop is open to all ages, and visitors are welcome to come and go freely throughout the session. All materials will be provided.

The final collaboratively woven artwork will remain in the collection of the Instituto Cervantes.

Foto credits: Camila Falquez