In recent years, one cannot fail to notice that contemporary artists have become increasingly more inclined to take up weaving as a medium that allows them to expand the form and scope of expression. Works made using this technique are also an important area of interest on the part of the MOCAK Collection.
In the exhibition Weaves, MOCAK is showing five textiles that are artistically eloquent and expressive. These are works by Faig Ahmed, Ry David Bradley, Emilia Bohdziewicz, Mona Hatoum and Małgorzata Markiewicz.
Originally from Azerbaijan, Faig Ahmed draws on the tradition of woollen carpets. By experimenting with classical patterns, he achieves the illusion of a multidimensional object. Ry David Bradley reproduces digital photography and gives it a permanent representation in the form of a tapestry, thus confronting the impermanence of the computer file with an enduring product of the traditional technique of weaving. Emilia Bohdziewicz creates a monumental geometric composition made of modules, showing how everything turns into abstraction in the mass. Mona Hatoum depicts a contour map of continents based on the Gall-Peters projection on velvet fabric. The work is a starting point for reflection on whether the world can actually be mapped. Małgorzata Markiewicz embroiders communication routes on a map of Europe. The dense network connecting countries completely blurs national borders.
The exhibition will feature artistic textile forms such as wall hanging, carpet, tapestry, embroidery and patchwork. The variety of techniques and themes reveals the wide artistic possibilities of fabric, which is proving to be a versatile medium in addressing contemporary social and political issues, as well as being an area open to formal experimentation.
