From the Flevopolder to Benin, the TextielMuseum in Tilburg zooms in on six natural materials in the group exhibition Makers on materials. The exhibition is on view through November 3, 2024.
Wool, cotton, fique, linen, rubber and silk all take centre stage in the group exhibition Makers on materials. Seven contemporary makers delve into the essence of a natural material, guided by global and increasingly relevant questions such as: Where does the material come from? How is it processed? And how can we do things differently? Discover the answers to these questions and more in Makers on materials, an exhibition that celebrates a deep passion for materials.
Makers on materials
Spread over six rooms, the exhibition’s various spaces can be viewed like pages in a magazine, each telling the story of a different material and maker. The selected works were created by seven international artists and designers: Christien Meindertsma (The Netherlands, 1980), Thierry Oussou (Benin, 1988), Rosana Escobar (Colombia, 1991), Caroline Bach (France, 1995), Asli Hatipoglu (Turkey, 1991) and the duo Dasha Tsapenko (Ukraine, 1993) and Marjo van Schaik (The Netherlands, 1964). All of them have mastered a natural material from their personal environment. Various touchable samples allow visitors to explore the tactile properties of each material.
Collection pieces
At the heart of the exhibition are several pieces from the museum’s collection made from the same six materials. In a green passageway set up like a depot, household textiles, assemblage art from the 1960s and works by Droog Design are on display. Several sustainable projects from the TextielLab are also highlighted, while a film shows exhibition curator Danique Klijs in conversation with yarn specialist Lise Brunt about the lab’s ongoing efforts to source more sustainable materials.
Photography: Josefina Eikenaar, TextielMuseum
