In 1974, Italian artist and furniture designer Enzo Mari published his book Autoprogettazione as a DIY guideline for furniture making that provides plans and instructions on creating 18 items of furniture from wood and ubiquitous materials. The book represents Mari’s critical view of the mass production of furniture and it is considered one of the first open-source furniture design books.

In this workshop, participants will work in groups to create furniture pieces from Mari’s archive under the supervision of Ahmad Barakat. Each group will work according to previously coordinated schedules. The production phase will take place between 7 January and 20 February 2023, on Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays (mornings or evenings) upon their availability.

Ahmad Barakat is a musician, woodworker, and civil engineer based in Amman. ‏ His musical styles extend from traditional forms such as maqam music to jazz fusions and experimental collaborative projects combining dance, sound, and material installation. ‏ In pursuit of harmony between space and sound, Barakat started experimenting with acoustics and soundproofing. This endeavor led to acquiring a workshop space that eventually became an extension of his music studio. Furniture building is a product of this marriage and is a passion driven by the strong link between engineering and construction. The realization that disciplines however sparse and remote are still connected and close is a great source of inspiration for Barakat’s creative process; his workflow for designing a piece of furniture is driven by parallels found in music and engineering.