1. Gertruda Gilyté, Lithuania / Germany. I Love you Gertruda. 2021 – 2026. Hand-knitted scarves, acrylic yarn. Hand knitting. Durational performance. Textile installation, Photo Contextile
Contextile – By A Tread, report by Lala de Dios
Under the theme “By a Thread”, Contextile, the biennial of contemporary textile art which can be seen in Guimarães until 29 November, proposes a reflection on the current times – marked by environmental, social and economic crises – and calls on art as a tool for resistance, care and the construction of new futures. The “thread” here is a symbol of the fragility of the world, but also of its capacity for regeneration and reinvention. As Janis Jefferies rightly points out in the biennial catalogue “Yet there is promise amid these challenges – an opportunity to reimagine our futures, renew and adapt our institutions, and craft new narratives about who we are and what we value. Artists working in diverse media stand at the forefront of this cultural resistance from different perspectives.”
Having played a central role in Contextile’s artistic programme throughout its eight editions, the International Exhibition once again broke participation records in its open call – 1,604 artists and 2,036 works entered into the competition, from 80 countries, marking the highest number of entries ever. The jury, a multidisciplinary team composed of Lala de Dios, Lewis Biggs, Magali Junet, Magda Soboń, Susana Pires, and Cláudia Melo, selected for the exhibition 54 artworks by 51 artists, representing 27 countries.
The invited artist is Chinese global citizen, artist and thinker Ai Weiwei who besides Fabrication, an exhibition at Centro Internacional das Artes José de Guimarães is also showing Camouflage and Nets, two installations in public spaces both referring to textiles currently in use in Ukraine to protect people from drones proving once more that art can find beauty and meaning everywhere and in everything.
This year there is no guest country exhibition, but rather the exhibition *A Change in the Weather? Material Storytelling in an Age of Uncertainty*. Curated by Janis Jefferies, the exhibition features works by Jakkai Siributr, Thailand; Movana Chen, Hong Kong; Simon Callery, United Kingdom; Taloi Havini, Papua New Guinea; and Teresa Lanceta, Spain, which are spread across various locations in the city, as are the results of the work by the artists in residence – a feature that, since its first edition, has set this biennial apart from others.
Continuing the initiative of previous editions, the biennial once again has invited Art Schools with textile-related disciplines to engage and challenge their students to express critical thought through their artistic practice. New to this edition is the Growing House project by the Fiber Media Lab, involving students from the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou curated by Assadour Markarov.
There’s more, but it’s difficult to mention everything there is to see and enjoy in just a few lines. Contextile has, for many years now, established itself as an international benchmark in the field of textile art, always keeping a close eye on contemporary art. Add to this the fact that it is held in the beautiful historic city of Guimarães, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is clear that this is an unmissable event for artists, curators, students and, indeed, anyone with an interest in textile art.
