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Jessica Hemmings
University of Gothenburg
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The work of thirty-five artists from six countries, Estonia, Finland, Japan, Latvia,
Lithuania and Britain, is present in this ambitious exhibition of contemporary textile
art. Curated by Professor Lesley Millar, the eclectic mix of nationalities is explained
as representative of countries where “textiles have traditionally played a central role,
both economically and also as a carrier of the narrative of place, of cultural
particularity.” Arguably, many other countries could deserve attention within this
remit. Finland isolated from the rest of Scandinavia is an unusual decision, as is the
inclusion of Japan. And as one audience member at the accompanying conference
questioned, Britain may in fact have a more tenuous role to play within this definition
of textile culture than we would like to acknowledge. Nonetheless, the eclectic mix
makes for a fascinating exhibition that refuses to subscribe to a universal code of
aesthetic appeal.
With very few exceptions, the work on display has not been previously exhibited to
the public. This must have made for nerve-wracking installation the week before the
exhibition, but also a refreshing change from the rehashed combinations that have
been common of late. In Britain, redundant exhibitions plagued 2007 when
universities scrambled to submit evidence of their research profiles to the Research
Assessment Exercise (RAE), which determines allocations of future research
funding. With the RAE thankfully behind us for a few years, it can only be hoped that
more exhibitions of this experimental nature continue to find their way into our
galleries and museums.
This is not an easy exhibition to view. From culture to culture the values that inform
textile production shift considerably. “Cloth and Culture NOW” asks viewers to step
away from familiar values and recognise a far greater breadth to contemporary
textile practice than we have tended to acknowledge in recent years. For those able
to make the trip to the UK, the task is well worth the challenge.