Imprinting a History: Salt Cosmologies by Hylozoic/Desires for Somerset House.

At Selvedge magazine, we are always asking, how was it made? Exploring the intricacies of a textile’s production adds depth to its story, revealing layers of meaning beyond its surface.

For Somerset House’s annual Spring commission, Salt Cosmologies, Hylozoic/Desires and Somerset House enlisted London-based design studio TiiPoi to fabricate a textile installation, working in collaboration with Bangalore-based Tharangini Studio, who created the block-printed panels. Together, they played a crucial role in bringing this vision to life. Conceived by Hylozoic/Desires - the cross-disciplinary collective of Himali Singh Soin and David Soin Tappeser - this multi-dimensional project examines the complex histories of Britain’s imperial salt monopoly in India. At its centre is namak halal/namak haram, an 80-metre-long installation reimagining the colonial Inland Customs Line, a once-formidable 2,500-mile barrier erected to control the salt trade during British rule.

Himali Singh Soin and David Soin Tappeser of Hylozoic/Desires, in front of the Salt Cosmologies installation 'namak halal/namak haram', 2025.

Himali Singh Soin & David Soin Tappeser of Hylozoic/Desires, alongside the founders and artisans of Tharangini Studio.

The artistic vision of namak halal/namak haram comes to life through the expertise of Tharangini Studio, a renowned hand block-printing atelier. For decades, Tharangini has safeguarded India’s artisanal heritage, championing sustainability and traditional printing techniques. In collaboration with Studio Tiipoi, the studio meticulously crafted fabric panels using organic cotton and vegetable dyes derived from the very plants that once formed the colonial hedge...

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Image Credits:

Lead Image: Preparing the termite printed fabric, Copyright Tharangini Studio.

Image 1 : Copyright of Somerset house and Hylozoic/Desires

Images 2 : Copyright Tharangini Studio

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