News

‘THE POWER OF THREAD'

Subtitled “Modern Slovenian Textile Art”, this exhibition will be on view at the Textile Museum of Husseren-Wesserling (Parc de Wesserling, F-68470), Alsace, from 15th May until 15th September 2010. Upon receiving the museum's invitation to participate in the exhibition, the textile artist Ksenija Baraga motivated four of her colleagues to join her: Eta Sadar Breznik, Anda Klančič, Jana Mršnik and Vera Stih. The Slovene Designers Association provided organisational support while their government gave financial backing.
The textile sculptures created by these artists, spanning five generations, are all based on textiles, but each artist draws inspiration from different sources – painting, architecture etc. The artists share a common interest in spatial problems and ways to convey symbolic messages. Their pieces are expressions of fundamental human laws, archetypes, visions, associations and representations of spiritual landscapes.
(Based on a text by Ksenija Baraga, abridged)

SUZANNE PINAULT - A LIFE FOR TEXTILES

An exhibition held at the Musée de la Chemiserie et de l'Elégance masculine, Argenton-sur-Crense (Rue Charles Brilland, F-36200), from 29th May until 17th October 2010 pays homage to Suzanne Pinault's life (born 1898), which was dedicated to the textile arts. From 1924 to 1957, the artist worked as a lecturer for lace
and knitting at the Paris Ecole des Arts Appliqués Duperré.
A well-known name in France, she dedicated her entire legacy (fabrics, laces, jewellery etc.) to the Hyères museum (http://chemiserie.cc-argenton.fr).

RHIAN SOLOMON: “SKIN”

We reported earlier on Rhian Solomon, a young textile designer who takes the theme of “body sheathes” literally, studying the layout of the human skin in great depth. She has found sponsors in the field of plastic surgery who support her studies in their own interest. They have enabled her to present her work under the auspices of a comprehensive exhibition themed “Skin”, held at the Wellcome Collection, London (183 Euston Road, NW1 2BE; http://www.wellcomecollection.org/whats-on/exhibitions/skin.aspx), from 10th June until 26th September 2010.
Seeking the qualities and char-acteristics of the skin, its elasticity, its strength and translucency, the artist recreates the mathematical models of the Russian surgeon Alexander Alexandroxich Limberg (1894-1974*) in hand and machine stitched fabric maquettes, utilising direct and devoré (burnout) printing techniques to create the material qualities of the body's largest organ. She has constructed stitch techniques that reflect the craft of both surgery and of dress making. Solomon is currently researching into potential for knowledge transfer – a theme that has also been approached sensitively and successfully in her previous projects, reflecting her fascination with the role of the skin as an interface, a textile, a garment and a canvas. The artist will also be exhibiting earlier work as part of the ageing section of the show (www.rhiansolomon.co.uk).
Note
*) The pioneering Russian surgeon A. A. Limberg of the twentieth century devoted much of his life to the design of surgical skin flaps and to the study of three dimensional plasticity of the body's surface.
In his text, “The Planning of Local Plastic Procedures on the Surface of the Body”, Limberg presents his mathematical index upon the slicing of the skin and highlights the use of paper and fabric models as a means of understanding geometric manipulation of this organ and its underlying tissues. – Original Russian text published by The Government Publishing House for Medical Literature, 1963, English translation published by The Collamore Press, 1984.

THE TEXTILE TRADITION OF BRABAND, THE NETHERLANDS

This exhibition held at Kempenland Museum, Eindhoven (St. Antoniusstraat 16, NL-5616 RT), from 12th June until 21st November 2010 is entitled “Stik maar! De textieltraditie van Brabanders (Get Stitched! Brabanders and their textile traditions)”. It focuses on the textile history of the town and its surroundings, both on its product range and on local industry, trade and education, spanning a period from the Middle Ages until the 19th century.

“GENIUS LOCI”

This is the theme of the 12th judged international Minitextile Exhibition organised by the Slovak Textile Artists Association (TXT), for which professional artists and students enrolled in art colleges were invited. Three prizes will be awarded; the winner of the judges' prize will have the opportunity of staging a solo exhibition. The exhibition is on view at Galéria X, Bratislava (Zámonícha 5, SK-81103), Slovakia, from 24th June until 4th September 2010. Opening on 23rd June, the show will be accompanied by a catalogue. – For further information contact: Silvia Federova, curator, email: silvia@gmail.com; http://www.txt.sk

LAM DE WOLF

An exhibition entitled “Lines in My Head – 30 Years of Lam de Wolf (1980-2010)” will be on view at the Audax Textile Museum, Tilburg (Goirkestraat 96, NL-5046 GH), from 26th June until 12th Sept. 2010. It will showcase wearable objects, “soft sculptures” and “textile drawings on the wall”.
Lam de Wolf belongs to the early generation of Dutch textile artists who performed with great success, but then vanished from the textile scene, appearing instead at exhibitions of sculpture and painting. In the Netherlands she also gained fame for her work in jewellery. In 1992 she took part in the Lausanne Biennial. While the artist has always remained true to her textile origins, she calls her cut strips of fabric “paints” which she uses to prepare her “palette”. Lam de Wolf has worked a great deal with text, for instance in her “Sinne-
rokken” (Skirts of Meaning) project, in which she embroidered aphorisms onto both traditional and new fabrics. For her “Hand Computer” series she formed pixel patterns from small rolls of fabric, while in her “Handkerchief Dictionaries” project she embroidered words onto handkerchiefs.
The exhibition was accom-panied by a book, regrettably in Dutch only, but with a CD-Rom presenting videos
of her various creative periods: “Lam de Wolf, munumentaal en dichtby”; Uitgeverij Voetnoot, ISBN 978-9078068631, 260 pages, price: Euro 45
Beatrijs Sterk

ETHNOGRAPHIC FELT EXHIBITION

From 26th June until 29th August 2010, the Danish Silkeborg Museum will show felt from Afghanistan, Iran and Mongolia, mostly carpets as well as some three-dimensional objects. The ca. 60 exhibits originate from several Danish museums, including the Copenhagen National Museum. Felter Lene Nielsen organised the exhibition for the 20th anniversary of the Danish Feltmakers' Association. Address: Silkeborg Museum, Hovedgårds-vej 7, DK-8600 Silkeborg; http://www.silkeborgmuseum.dk

2010 TEXTILE + FASHION INNOVATIONS AWARD

The international contest for this award will be held for the third time by the German Textile + Fashion Confederation. Covering the entire breadth of textile applications, the award is presented to young talents for innovative work in the categories of Textile Design, Fashion Design and Innovative Textiles. The contest is open to designers and engineers with less than five years of professional experience. Three prizes worth Euro 10,000, Euro 2,000 and Euro 1,000 are available, combined with support packages. The award ceremony is scheduled at the Düsseldorf Ständehaus on 20th September 2010. Contact: Kirsten Rahmann, tel: +4-30/72622022; email: krahmann@textil-mode.de; http://www.textil-mode.de
Subm. deadline: 30th June 2010

TEXTILE ART BY MEN

From 3rd July until 4th September 2010, the Waterside Arts Centre of Manchester (1 Waterside Plaza, M33 7 ZF) will hold an exhibition entitled “Men of Cloth”, featuring work by Michael Brennand-Wood, Gavin Fry, Matthew Harris, James Hunting, Colin Jenkins and Kazuhito Takadoi. For all these artists, working with textiles is integral to their art, and each uses different processes to handle that medium
(http://watersideartscentre.co.uk).

TEXTILE KULTUR HASLACH - COURSES IN ENGLISH

The Haslach event from 18 to 30 July 2010 is planned under the title "A Touch of Nothingsness".
The new course programme is again in bilingual German and English format. Potential participants may enrol in 25 summer courses covering a wide range of textiles. Among the courses offered in English are Katja Huhmarkangas/FIN: "Challenge your Creativity with a TC-1 and Photoshop"; Ann Richards/UK: "Textiles That Shape Themselves", Patricia Black/S: "Shibori – Twist and Shape Dimensional Textile" and Ysabel de Maissonneuve: "Textiles in Movement". In addition, the Haslach association will once again offer many special events, including an exhibition, “Between Nothingness and Life. Silk Weavings by Michiko Uehara” (18th July - 22nd Aug. 2010); an experimental workshop, “Button in the Brain” with Cordula Hofmann-Molis; and, of course, the usual attractive weavers' market (24/25th July 2010). Info: www.textile.kultur.haslach.at

THE BALTIC TEXTILE TRIENNIAL

The 8th International Baltic Minitextile Triennial takes place at Muzeum Miasta Gdyni, Gdynia, Poland (ul. Zawiszy Czarnego 1, PL-81374), from 15th July until 29th August 2010. Organiser Aleksandra Bibrowicz-Sikorska has provided information on the exhibition preparations. This year, there were 190 applicants from 33 countries, including 22 overseas textile artists, 8 of them from Latin America alone! Eight Polish judges selected pieces by 100 artists from 28 countries for the exhibition. At the time of this issue going to press, the award winners had not been finalised (http://www.muzeumgdynia.pl)

“QUILT ART 25”

Established in the UK in 1985, this patchwork group celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. It will mark the occasion by an exhibition held at the Bankfield Museum, Halifax (Boothtown Road, HX3 5HG, UK), from 17th July until 29th August 2010, and has published an eponymous book for the event.
The British Quilters Guild was established as early as 1979. The founders of Quilt Art wished to set a higher artistic standard, and to provide exhibition opportunities to members, an objective they have managed to fulfil annually ever since its inception! Today the group numbers 21 members in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands and “America” (geographic information not precise). Thanks to the efforts of its highly active members, the group's exhibitions frequently tour the British Isles, continental Europe and even Japan or Canada. A touring exhibition of the United States is under preparation.
The anniversary exhibition will be shown on the Isle of Wight this autumn before moving to the Quilt Museum of York in the spring of 2011, to Gloucester, and to Denbighshire, Wales, in the summer of 2011. Late next year, the exhibition will travel to mainland Europe and may be shown in Heidelberg in early 2012. For up-to-date information see the group website (www.quiltart.org.uk).
Further details – including information on various group members' presence at exhibitions held at the Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, in August 2010, and the Munich Quilt & Textilkunst gallery in the winter of this year – are available from Sara Impey, Quilt Art, Greyhound House, 26 Church Street, Coggeshall, Colchester, Essex C06 1TX, UK, e-mail: sara.impey@gmail.com

CONVERGENCE 2010

Convergence 2010 will be held in the Albuquerque Convention Center, July 18-25, 2010 Convergence and is organized and sponsored by the Handweavers Guild of America (HGA). Convergence features special lectures, workshops, one day studio classes, super seminars, exhibits, tours, special events, and a commercial vendor hall full of fibers, fiber-related equipment and an artist market. The classes include novice to advanced instruction in fiber techniques, including weaving, spinning, dyeing, basketry, feltmaking, knitting, garment construction and sewing with handwovens. (http://www.weavespindye.org).

INTERNATIONAL FELT EVENT IN DENMARK

GRIMA, the Danish Feltmakers' Association, celebrates its 20th anniversary in a major event held at various venues around Silke-borg/DK from 20th July until 1st August 2010. The programme includes workshops, talks, an exhibition, a fashion show and many other opportunities to meet Danish felters. The participation fee is Dkr 2,600 (~ Euro 486) including accommodation and breakfast. – Registration address: Emmy Hansen, 10 Birkenmosevej, As, DK-7130 Juelsminde (www.grima.dk)

“FROM LAUSANNE TO BEIJING”

The 6th International Fiber Art Biennial & Symposium will again take place in China from 22nd October until 6th November 2010. This year's event will be held in the city of Zhenghou, Henan Province. Submissions will be viewed by a panel of 17 judges, 10 of them foreigners (Europeans Annika Ekdahl, Sweden, and Bashir Makhoul, UK, as well as three judges each from the USA and Japan, and two from South Korea). The organisers are asking for two- or three-dimensional art pieces in any material, measuring a maximum of 320 cm in height for two-dimensional and a maximum of 600 cm in height for three-dimensional objects. At the 5th Biennial, more than 240 pieces were included in the exhibition and catalogue. The participation fee of US $300 includes returning of the work, two catalogues and a wealth of additional services for those attending the event, those not present are charged US $ 150. Awards will be presented in the form of medals – 2 gold, 4 silver and 8 bronze – and 46 “Outstanding” commendations are also envisaged. The first registration forms were sent as early as April, when the 2008 form was still posted on the organisers' website (communication channels with China are a matter of luck!). International contact address: C322/B357, Fiber Art Institute, Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University Haidian District, Beijing 100080, China; tel: +86-10/62798976; contact: Wang Mei, e-mail: may_zhe@hotmail.com; http://www.chinafiberart.com.cn/4th-english.html
Subm. deadline: 25th July 2010

2nd ‘IN THE LOOP' KNITTING SYMPOSIUM

From 1st to 5th September 2010, the “In the Loop 2: Knitting origins and evolution” symposium will be held at the Shetland Museum & Archives, Lerwick, Shetland Islands. The event is organised by Judith Horgan/Conference Administrator at Winchester School of Art, UK, e-mail: j.a.horgan@soton.ac.uk. For British conditions, the conference fee of £ 60 is moderate. (The first symposium, held in 2008, led to Jessica Hemmings' book “In The Loop – Knitting Now”, published by Black Dog Publishing in March 2010, ISBN 978-906155964; 192 pages, 109 colour & b/w ills., priced £ 24.95)
Registration deadline: 2nd August 2010

ITAB INTERNATIONAL TECHSTYLE ART BIENNIAL

This is a new biennial event, launched by the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles. ITAB is a juried exhibition of works by "artists mining the expressive potential of fiber media and engaging new information and communcation technologies in their artistic processes, as a medium of artistic expression and/or in the content of their work". ITAB 2010 will be on view from 17. Aug. to 31 Oct. 2010 at the museum. - Address: San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, 520 South First Street, San Jose, California 95113 USA; tel +1-408/9710323; http://www.SJQuiltMuseum.org

IAPMA CONGRESS IN KOREA

The 21st IAPMA Congress on the theme, "Obangsack (Rainbow Colours)" will take place in Wonju, Korea, on 31st August 2010. A number of exhibitions of paper art are envisaged, including several open to non-members. Artist meetings and workshops will be offered in parallel with the conference, excursions are scheduled after the event. Wonju is considered the 'paper city' in Korea. For futher information consult the internet, www.iapma.info

FIRST INTL. ENCOUNTER OF THE IBEROAMERICAN TEXTILE NETWORK

Thanks to ETN President, Lala de Dios, European Textile Network is proud to have assisted in the development of the Iberoamerican Textile Network that is now organising its first encounter. Scheduled in San José, Costa Rica, from 3rd to 10th September 2010, it will be followed by a textile tour to the Kuna Indians of Panama (until 17 Sept.). In TF 1/2010, we announced the exhibition as an open competition (deadline now expired). Complete information on the event is now available in English on the internet at www.redtextilia.org.
Confirmed speakers are Rebecca Stevens/USA, Lala de Dios/E, Lia Cook/USA, Susan Taber Avila/USA, Carol Westfall/USA and myself. Speakers and workshop leaders yet to be confirmed are Tilleke Schwarz/NL, Jessica Hemmings/UK, Peter Gente-naar/NL, Máximo Laura/Peru, Renato Imbroisa/Brasil, Maité Tanguy/F, Laura Novik/Argentina, Nilda Callañaupa/Peru and Inge Dusi/Chile.
The event is a dream come true for the Costa Rican organisers, “a dream to see diversity in the textile creation of Ibero-American artists and the entire world united”. These are not just words, but heartfelt feelings on the part of the organisers, which explains the Costa Rican team's enormous efforts to make the event unforgettable. In April 2009, during the 5th WTA Biennial in Buenos Aires, I had a feeling that Latin America can offer a special energy to the world of textiles – an energy that our own textile community in Europe is failing to invest (with the exception of some new EU countries, such as Lithuania, Latvia or Hungary). The first encounter, themed “Textile Creativity: Sustainable Tradition and Responsible Innovation”, is supported by the Spanish Cultural Center, the Mexican Cultural Institute, the Omar Dengo Foundation, the Veritas University, the National University and the House of Culture José Figueres Ferrer.
Costa Rica has over 4.5 million inhabitants, 87% of them of European Mediterranean descent; it is the safest country in Latin America! The country abolished its army in 1948 and is one of the 22 oldest democracies in the world. Its literacy rate is 97.5% (the highest in Central America), and the country comes third globally in environmental performance. Its fauna and flora is the most diverse of all Latin America. Last but not least, Costa Rica is at the top of the „happiness index“ (the British New Economics Foundation measures the degree of happiness experienced by the inhabitants of 143 countries, based on people's own perception). This makes Costa Rica the ideal place for a meeting of textile creators from all over the world, they will have a great time! Beatrijs Sterk

2011 HANOVER TEXTOUR

From 11th March until 16th April 2011, a second edition of TEXTOUR will be held in Hanover, with exhibitions,
a symposium and various other events on textile themes.
As in the previous edition, two international judged exhibitions are planned:

RAG REVOLUTION
(Re-)use of textile materials is the theme of this exhibition shown at Workshop Hannover from 11th March until 15th April 2011. The exhibition explores artists' current reflections on the theme and the ways in which they employ textile media, techniques, materials or metaphors. The call for entries from around the world quite deliberately addresses artists from all genres. To throw further light on the theme, TEXTILE FORUM magazine 1/2011 will be dedicated to “Rags”, and expand on the subject by inviting suggestions from readers.
Detailed conditions for entry and a comprehensive explanatory text can be found on the website of Workshop Hannover e.V., Zentrum für kreatives Gestalten, Lister Meile 4, D-30161 Hannover; tel: +49-511/344711;
e-mail: box@workshop-ev.de; http://www.workshop-ev.de
Application deadline: 15th October 2010

BODY SHEATHS
What are the properties man-made covers could, must or should have to offer humans protection from the elements while also meeting their individual and fashion needs? This question is the focus of an exhibition on view at Handwerksform Hannover from 19th March until 16th April 2011.
All candidates from Germany or abroad who have obtained a professional qualification or can show several years of professional experience may ap-ply. Applications are expected to include a CV, three to five good quality photos (jpg files, 300 dpi), a statement and information on working methods, techniques and materials, in a format not exceeding A4.
All further details can be found on the Handwerksform Hannover website: Informations- und Ausstellungszentrum der Handwerkskammer Hannover, Berliner Allee 17, D-30175 Hannover; tel: +49-511/348
5921; e-mail: handwerksform@hwk-hannover.de; http://www.handwerksform.de
Application deadline: 15th September 2010

SIMPLY LACE

The term “lace” is usually encountered in the context of textiles. However, open work techniques are also used to craft other materials, creating objects that are “simply great”. Craftspeople working in any field who have completed their professional training or can show several years of professional experience may submit entries. Applications are expected to include a CV, three to five good quality photos (jpg files/300 dpi), a statement and information on working methods, techniques and materials, in a format not exceeding A4. All further details can be found on the Handwerksform Hannover website. Exhibition period: 11th June to 9th July 2011.
(http://www.handwerksform.de)
Application deadline: 20th January 2011

3rd INTL. COMPETITION OF TEXTILE ART ‘CONTINERE'

The 7th International Triennial of Contemporary Textile Arts of Tournai, subtitled “The 5 Continents”, invites artists from the five continents to participate in the summer of 2011. It will be the third Triennial to include an open international exhibition on textile art; following “Kimonologue” and “Dialogue”, next year's theme will be “Continere” (Latin for ‘sticking together'). The organisers are asking for pieces that deal with the basic principles of weaving and the best possible interpretations in this field. Objects should measure no more than 220 x 220 x 30 cm and no less than 100 x 150 cm. Submissions must include digital photos, a paper print and a work sample. Three prizes worth Euro 5,000, Euro 2,000 and Euro 1,000 will be presented, and a catalogue with colour illustrations is envisaged. The exhibition dates are 14th June to 31st August 2011. A participation fee will not be charged. Address: 7th Intl. Triennial of Contemporary Textile Arts of Tournai, 1 Blvd. des Frères Rimbaud, B-7500 Tournai; Patricia Carliez, e-mail: Triennale.tournai@belgacom.net; http://www.triennaletournai.be
Submission deadline: 1st February 2011

THE INTL. WORLD TEXTILE ART BIENNIAL IN MEXICO IS ANNOUNCED

This sixth WTA Biennial to the theme of “AIR” will possibly become the most ambitions event of this kind in Latin America. It will take place from 16 May until 1 June 2011 at three different venues, Xalapa at the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico City and Oaxaca, a provincial capital in the centre of the isthmus between the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean.
The organisers website features six different international competitions, each with a different focus of content, spread over the three venues:
1) Large Format Textile Art
2) Small Format Textile Art
3) Time-Based Textile Art
4) Textile Art Objects
5) Recyclability in Textile Art
The deadline for all these competitions is 15 December 2010.
Up to 3 objects per participant
at a fee of US $ 40 (for 1 object), + $ 30,- (2) + $ 20,- (3).
6) Collaborative Textile Art- Nets (no fee!)
Detailed calls for entries are published on the website www.wta-online.org. Application address (in JPG-format) to e-mail: wta.aire.mexico@gmail.com,
or bienalmexico@wta-online.org,
or by fax: +1-786/206967
Deadline: 15 February 2011

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