Artist’s Grand Macramé Creation Initially in the Desert Reimagined in the Alps

Last November, a multitude of visitors flocked to the Mleiha desert for the 2025 Tanweer Festival. Amidst the shifting dunes and radiant sand, Milla Novo unveiled Ancestral Whispers, a large-scale installation made up of colorful, natural fiber panels that softly moved with the desert wind. The vibrancy of the work harmonized perfectly with its environment; however, during a recent skiing excursion, the Dutch-Chilean artist contemplated whether Ancestral Whispers could evolve beyond its initial locale.

Novo swiftly delved into this exploration, developing From Desert Sand to Alpine Snow. This fiber art concept reinterprets Ancestral Whispers for a wintry backdrop, engulfed by what the artist refers to as a “sea of white silence.” In this iteration, hand-woven textiles are suspended within a glass structure rather than hanging freely from a metal framework. Although it differs in presentation, From Desert Sand to Alpine Snow maintains a sense of immersion, inviting visitors to move through an arched entrance and engage closely with each macramé panel. The installation is further enriched by its surroundings, whose minimalist starkness provides a breathtaking contrast to Novo’s vivid, intricately textured textiles.

“The outcome fosters a dialogue between extremes: warmth and chill, hue and blankness, traditional craft and architectural exactness,” Novo articulates in an artist statement.

When distanced from the desert’s warmth, the project acquires more allure. At the core of this allure lies Novo’s material sensitivity, deeply rooted in her own heritage. Hailing from Chilean parents with Mapuche Indigenous ancestry, the artist has long been drawn to traditional weaving methods inherited from her mother. She frequently reinterprets these traditions through a modern lens, merging Indigenous craftsmanship, narratives, and memory throughout her body of work. In From Desert Sand to Alpine Snow, Novo immerses her craft within an unforeseen context, broadening the scope of Mapuche traditions to include alpine aesthetics.

“The glass structure operates as both a frame and a metaphor, transparent, ephemeral, and completely open to the surrounding landscape,” Novo remarks, “while the fiber art contained within remains grounded, tactile, and brimming with vitality.”

According to Novo’s initial visualizations, it is evident that From Desert Sand to Alpine Snow can ignite dialogue regarding craft and its connection to colder climates. Similar to Ancestral Whispers, the installation would also further the artist’s practice. Novo is primarily recognized for her wall hangings, and Ancestral Whispers represented the first occasion she crafted a site-specific project. This new alpine concept would maintain that trajectory, honoring something spatial, sensory, and communal.

To explore further about the artist and From Desert Sand to Alpine Snow, visit Milla Novo’s website.

Milla Novo’s From Desert Sand to Alpine Snow fiber art concept skillfully contrasts vibrant macramé panels against the starkness of winter landscapes.

The concept reinterprets and builds upon the artist’s Ancestral Whispers installation, which premiered last November at the 2025 Tanweer Festival in the Mleiha Desert.