Unravelling the Coffee Bag

Fique, an agave plant native to Colombia, provides the fibre used for the production of coffee bags exported from Colombia to the rest of the world. The high demand has resulted in a large industry around fique. Its reliance on another market and its destiny as a coffee bag make it vulnerable and undervalued. ‘Unravelling the Coffee Bag’ traces a global product back to its local context and its raw state. It reveals the story behind the coffee bag, and the missed opportunities of a standardised production line. With a collection of objects, in which unique, otherwise discarded qualities of the fibre are kept, Rosana Escobar explores the rich diversity and potential of fique, reclaiming its value and underlining the need for a diversified market.