Tapestry poster from the world of my thesis game, Tourist Trap. The protagonist finds herself in a counterfeit Paris, from which she can only escape by winning in the ring. Her opponent is herself: two identical luchadores fight for the right to stop believing in the dream of Paris.
Idea
Parisian Lucha Libre — a tapestry from the world of my thesis game, Tourist Trap. Its heroine purchases a cheap tour and flies into a replica of Paris, yet she refuses to notice the imitation. During the day, the city features a cabaret where scripted matches are put on for tourists. But at night, the matches are real, and only victory grants passage out.
The tapestry is a poster for one such evening. It features a Mexican luchador mask, the dome of the Invalides, Parisian wrought-iron grilles replacing the ring ropes, and calligraphy reminiscent of a postcard. Two foreign cultures, pasted together for tourists—that is the tourist trap.
ME vs ME
Two Luchadoras in identical masks—the same heroine. Her main rival is not another girl, but her own dream of Paris. This is a reference to the Parisian Syndrome, or voyage pathologique, which I am explaining: a person travels to the city of their dreams, encounters mundane reality, and experiences genuine shock. To break free from the trap, the heroine must conquer her illusion.
The mirrored composition functions as a reflection: the left and right halves argue with each other, and in the center hangs a mask without an owner—a face that either of them could wear.
Why a tapestry?
The very word «tapestry» is Parisian—it was the name of the royal Gobelin manufactory. Therefore, the poster of a fake Paris, woven on an authentically Parisian substrate, plays with irony. The composition itself resembles an old damask wallpaper: it is symmetrical and heraldic, featuring crosses in the corners, a mask in the center like a medallion, and latticework instead of a border. The glossy, almost doll-like figures, made of cotton thread, create an amusing contrast between plastic and fabric. The turquoise tassels along the bottom edge echo the color of the latticework, transforming the poster into a souvenir a tourist takes away from a city that does not exist.
Parameters
Carrier — jacquard tapestry. Format — 204 × 146 cm, horizontal orientation. Material — cotton thread; the image is composed of six base threads: four colored threads, black, and white. Palette — neon pink, crimson, blue-violet, and turquoise. Finishing — turquoise tassels along the bottom edge. Mounting — curtain rod with wall mounts. Files — final JPG in the master file format 204 × 146 cm and editable source file.
Fabrication
The tapestry is woven using the Jacquard weaving method from cotton thread: the image is not printed onto the fabric, but is built directly from the interlacing of the threads. Therefore, the design is simplified for weaving: the calligraphy becomes thicker, the raster is coarser, and the pink figures are separated from the pink background with a dark outline to prevent them from blending when the threads merge.
