TextielMuseum, Tilburg, the Netherlands

Upon stepping into the 'Makers on Materials' exhibition at the TextielMuseum in Tilburg, the Netherlands, visitors find themselves captivated by a pile of raw harvested cotton. The sight of the cotton stirs a deep-seated desire to touch and explore the material, igniting curiosity about its softness, weight, and texture. This visual encounter stimulates our imagination about the potential applications of these materials and prompts reflection on their origins—how they are cultivated, processed, and by whom. The exhibition challenges us to contemplate these crucial questions, effectively reconnecting us with the fundamental aspects of material sourcing and use, making the experience impactful.

The exhibition delves into six natural materials—wool, cotton, flax, fique, rubber, and silk—showcasing the work of seven artists and designers each with a distinctive connection to these resources. Among them are Christien Meindertsma from The Netherlands, Thierry Oussou from Benin, Rosana Escobar from Colombia, Caroline Bach from France, Asli Hatipoglu from Turkey, and the Ukrainian-Dutch duo Dasha Tsapenko and Marjo van Schaik. Running from April 20 to November 3, 2024, the exhibition explores the interwoven narratives of colonialism, climate change, and cultural heritage influencing today’s sourcing and processing of these materials. Each artist’s story enhances our understanding of the cultural and environmental narratives embedded in the everyday materials we encounter, with central displays in each room presenting the materials at various stages of transformation for interactive visitor engagement.

"Makers on Materials" invites us to reconnect with the tactile and tangible properties of materials, urging us to consider not just their aesthetic and functional attributes, but also the deep-seated stories of cultural heritage, environmental stewardship, and social justice they embody.

Cotton and Inequality

Cotton, a crucial export of Benin and a key element of its economy, underscores significant global challenges. Despite being Africa's top cotton exporter, the smallholder farmers who form the backbone of this industry rarely see the financial rewards. Thierry Oussou’s installation 'Equilibrium Wind' addresses this inequity directly. The exhibit features a video that captures the cotton harvesting process, along with a display of raw cotton from Oussou’s own fields, and a woven flag symbolizing unity, specially created for this exhibition at the TextielLab. Oussou’s work provides a palpable link to the origin of the cotton used in his installations, accentuating the deep-seated challenges faced by cotton farmers in Benin. His extensive involvement with issues of fairness and sustainability in African agriculture challenges visitors to rethink the human and economic impacts of cotton production, encouraging a critical reflection on the global supply chains we often overlook.

From Seed to Linen – The Flax Project

Continuing the exploration, Dutch designer Christien Meindertsma presents 'A Flax Project,' which traces the journey of flax from seed to linen. Utilizing every part of the flax harvested from a six-hectare plot in the Dutch Flevopolder, Meindertsma transforms these resources into an array of products, including linseed oil, linoleum, textiles, and furniture. This holistic approach underscores a commitment to zero waste and showcases the versatility and sustainability of flax.

Illuminating Ethical Questions: Silk and Environmental Impact
In another room, visitors discover Asli Hatipoglu's thought-provoking installation, 'Bombyx Mori', centered around silk. This installation explores the human impacts on natural processes and our interactions with domesticated species, specifically focusing on the intensive breeding of the Bombyx mori silkworm to maximize silk production. Hatipoglu's work, which incorporates glow-in-the-dark yarn woven into the fabric, intermittently illuminates the dimly lit space, creating a mesmerizing visual effect. This captivating display not only draws the audience in but also prompts deep reflection on the implications of silk production and our broader relationships with domesticated species.

Rubber: A Journey from the Amazon to Cars
Jewellery and textile artist Caroline Bach, who grew up in Clermont-Ferrand—a city in central France renowned as the birthplace of the Michelin tyre factory—has been deeply influenced by this industrial backdrop in her artistic exploration of rubber. The exhibition showcases her “Materialisation” series, which meticulously tracks the lifecycle of rubber from the rubber trees of the Amazon to modern car tires. Bach's artworks not only illuminate the globalized production chain but also highlight the unexpected aesthetic qualities of rubber. Furthermore, the series confronts the pressing issue of tire waste, emphasizing the environmental challenges and sustainability concerns associated with the disposal of used tires. This addition deepens our understanding of the complex processes involved in rubber production and its diverse applications, as well as its long-term environmental impact.

Rediscovering Fique: From Utilitarian Fiber to Art

In the fique room, Colombian artist Rosana Escobar displays the transformation of the agave plant fiber from simple, practical coffee bags to intricate art pieces. Her work stresses the importance of traditional methods that preserve the distinctive properties of fique, advocating for a circular and inclusive production chain for this often overlooked material. Fique, derived from an agave plant native to Colombia and traditionally used in coffee bags, is celebrated in Escobar's exhibit. Known historically as 'oro blanco' or 'white gold,' the material is showcased in items such as an ottoman and a hanging ornament from her series “Unraveling the Coffee Bag.” These pieces, crafted using age-old techniques, maintain the high-quality attributes of the fiber, contrasting with the inferior quality seen in mass-produced coffee bags. Also featured is a felted fabric made from recycled coffee bags, which, despite a reduction in quality compared to the pristine fique, remains a valuable and sustainable material.

Wool: Weaving Cultural Heritage

The final room is devoted to wool, where Ukrainian designer Dasha Tsapenko and Dutch cultural entrepreneur Marjo van Schaik reimagine the traditional Ukrainian shepherd’s coat, the gunya. This traditional coat, crafted from wool through special weaving and felting techniques, represents a rich cultural heritage. Tsapenko and van Schaik have a shared fascination with this traditional garment and have used it as a foundation to explore alternative materials, including discarded Dutch wool. Their rendition of the gunya is not only a functional item but also a symbolic piece, adorned with seed bags as a homage to the Ukrainian seed bank destroyed in a 2022 bomb attack, thus merging cultural preservation with innovative material use.

The "Makers on Materials" exhibition at the TextielMuseum in Tilburg provides a profound exploration into the origins, processing, and ethical dimensions of natural materials. By engaging visitors through tactile experiences and the narratives of innovative artists, the exhibition encourages a deep reflection on the materials that permeate our lives—from the fields where cotton is harvested to the complex processes transforming rubber into tires. Each installation, whether highlighting the plight of smallholder cotton farmers, the zero-waste journey of flax, or the ethical considerations in silk production, serves as a catalyst for contemplating broader issues of sustainability, cultural heritage, and social justice.

"Makers on Materials" Exhibition

TextielMuseum

Website: www.textielmuseum.nl
Instagram: @TextielMuseum

For videos featuring insights from the designers and artists of the "Makers on Materials" exhibition, please visit:

TextielMuseum - Makers on Materials Videos

Curation

Danique Klijs

Featured Artists:

• COTTON

  Thierry Oussou
  Instagram: @ThierryOussou

• FLAX

  Christien Meindertsma
  Website: www.christienmeindertsma.com

• SILK

  Asli Hatipoglu
  Website: www.aslihatipoglu.com
  Instagram: @_aslihatipoglu

• RUBBER

  Caroline Bach
  Instagram:@bach_caroline

• FIQUE

  Rosana Escobar
  Instagram: @escobaryrosas and @secondaryraw

• WOOL

  Dasha Tsapenko
  Website: www.atelierdashatsapenko.com
  Instagram: @atelier__dashatsapenko

  Marjo van Schaik

  Website: https://www.marjovanschaik.nl/

  Instagram: @marjvanschaik
  
  
  

  WORDS

  Nina Zulian