weaving

An exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art finds political power in dizzying patterns from the Kuba Kingdom — located in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

That $2,300 rug with a faded floral pattern at West Elm? The $50 picture frame made of bone at Bloomingdale's? Both handcrafted by artisans in India.

With burbling videos and cascades of linen and plastic that seem to pour from the ceiling, Waterweavers shows how rivers, fibers and recycled bottles are all part of the culture of the country.