The international group exhibition ‘Active Threads’ examines the social and political importance of textiles today.

It addresses the fact that material fabrics are extremely effective means of communication even in our digital present.

The project touches on geopolitical conflicts, latent and obvious post-colonial wounds as well as examples of civil protest, but also motives of fan culture.

This shows the many ways in which textiles can become catalysts for historical and cultural processes.

Textiles connect people and things, network cultures and geographies, connect the unconnected or destroyed, create identity and community and promote collective experiences. But they are also used when tight images of society and political systems are called into question.

In their work, the eight international artists challenge the frequently used metaphor of the ‘social bond’ and reflect today’s forms of social coexistence and solidarity.

Published alongside an exhibition at KAI 10 / The Arthena Foundation, Düsseldorf (May – August 2021).

English and German text.