21 Nov 2023
The creation of soft materials will be in the spotlight at UQAM’s Centre de Design with the Textile Design Now exhibition. Additionally, a symposium entitled Textiles Beyond Crafts will take place on November 30th and December 1st, 2023, and will include lectures, workshops, and round tables.
Dates: November 30, 2023 until February 11, 2024
Opening: November 29, 2023, from 6 pm to 9 pm
Curators
Louise Pelletier, Professor at École de design, UQAM
Fabienne Münch, Professor and Chair of the Department of Design, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA
Katharina Sand, Visiting Professor at the Akademie Mode & Design (AMD), Munich, Germany.
Guest curator (history component)
Christina Contandriopoulos, professor at the Département d'histoire de l'art, UQAM, in collaboration with Theo Tyson, Curator of Fashion Arts at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, and Rebecca Leclerc, doctoral student in Études et pratiques des arts, UQAM.
Exhibition
Textile Design Now showcases 23 works by women textile artists and designers from fourteen countries: Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Senegal, Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United States. This unique gathering will provide an opportunity to discover several previously unseen pieces.
At the cutting edge of textile design, these creators engage in varied and unexpected practices including weaving, 3D printing, sound-generating and solar textiles, bacterial dyeing, as well as the creation of replacement organs woven by silkworms.
The spatial arrangement of the textile works within the exhibition highlights the intertwining of tradition and innovation, experimental practices, and the emotional potential of soft materials. A historical section and a selection of books offer insights into the rich origins of textile practices and the complexity of their cultural and societal roles.
"The exhibition will be an opportunity to discover the remarkable work of women designers over the past century, but more specifically, the exceptional contribution of today's women designers in the field of textile production," says Louise Pelletier, co-curator of the exhibition and professor at UQAM's École de design.
"Soft materials are part of everyday life in cultures and societies across the globe. They are an inexhaustible source of inspiration and innovation. We are delighted to present this exhibition which celebrates women artists and designers who are passionate about materials. It has been a great intellectual and emotional pleasure to put together this exhibition with Louise Pelletier, Katharina Sand, Christina Contandriopoulos, and the team at the UQAM Design Centre,” says Fabienne Münch, co-curator of the exhibition and Chair of the Department of Design at Ohio State University.
"Textile practices fascinate me. They embody craftsmanship and ingenuity. Their socio-cultural, economic, and political impact is profound, while their aesthetics and tactility shape our everyday experience of the world. I'm delighted that so many artists and designers can join us for the opening of the exhibition, as well as for the symposium, Textile Beyond Craft, to weave a dynamic textile network," says Katharina Sand, co-curator of the exhibition and professor at the Akademie Mode & Design (AMD).
Artists and designers featured in the exhibition
A+N Studio (Alissa van Asseldonk & Nienke Bongers), Yosi Anaya, Micheline Beauchemin, Estelle Bourdet, Felecia Davis, Aïssa Dione, Cécile Feilchenfeldt, Carla Hemlock, Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao, Julia Koerner, Mari Koppanen, Louise Lemieux Bérubé, Anke Loh, Ptolemy Mann, Julia Moser, Gulnur Mukazhanova, Veronica Ranner, Marie Schumann, Reiko Sud?, Hiroko Takeda, Suzanne Tick, Pauline van Dongen.
Symposium Textiles Beyond Crafts
The exhibition will be accompanied by the symposium, Textiles Beyond Crafts, which will take place on November 30th and December 1st, 2023. The symposium aims to create a dialogue within emerging practices in textile design. Highlights include lectures by exceptional women, including Mohawk textile artist, Carla Hemlock, as well as designer and director emeritus of Japan’s NUNO Textiles, Reiko Sud?, and the Curator of Fashion Arts at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Theo Tyson.
Symposium Program:
The symposium is open to all.
Places are limited: Registration is optional, but priority will be given to those who register.
Location: Pavillon de design, UQAM, Room DE-4580, 1440 Rue Sanguinet, Montréal, Métro Berri-UQAM
Symposium Contact & Information
Vanessa Mardirossian,
École supérieure de mode de l'ESG UQAM
Partners
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (CRSH/SSHRC), the Creative Industries Fund NL, the Ikea Foundation Switzerland, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), the Japan Foundation Toronto, the Faculty of Arts at UQAM, the UQAM École de Design, the Embassy of Switzerland in Canada, the Austrian Cultural Forum/the Austrian Embassy, the Goethe Institute Montreal Mp repo, and v2com.
Exhibition Media visit
November 29th between 4 and 5 pm, or upon request. Please contact the undersigned.
Address and opening hours
Centre de design de l’UQAM
1440, rue Sanguinet
Montréal
Métro Berri-UQAM
Wednesday to Sunday, 12 noon until 6 pm
Free admission
Guided tours of exhibitions for groups
Available at all times
Free of charge
The exhibition will be closed for the winter holiday period from December 18th, 2023 until January 9th, 2024.
