The Art of Textiles or Textiles as Art: Strings @ Design Flanders

The interest surrounding textile art has grown in the last ten years or so also thanks to dedicated exhibitions that allowed many of us to discover the intrinsic pleasures of creating refined art combining traditional skills and materials with a modern point of view.

If you like this form of art you shouldn't miss "Strings" at Brussel's Design Flanders Gallery. A project by Design Flanders in collaboration with the non-profit organisation Lace as an Art, the event is directly linked to the International Betonac Competition.

The latter was launched by Betty Cuykx, founder of Lace as an Art, as an opportunity to assess and promote the state of Flemish textile art, but, little by little, the event became well-known far beyond the borders of Belgium.

Numerous artists from across the planet participated indeed in the event and every edition involved workshops and a travelling exhibition which visited many countries.

"Strings" will feature recent works by the Betonac competition "laureates" together with a group of designers from Flanders (Tim Baute, Patricia Boulez, Betty Cuykx, Trui Demarcke, Hoet Design, An Lanckman, Ria Lins, Marleen Mertens, Hilde Metz, Nathalie Perneel, Rozemarijn Spilliaert, Lieve Vandycke & Inge Van Gheel).

The laureates' creations are particularly exciting and include Marie-Rose Lortet's solid lace architectural structures; Michaël Brannand Wood's eye-catching sculptural pieces; Marian Bijlenga's impalpable embroideries; Kaori Umeda's works calling to mind natural and organic forms; Luciana Costa Gianello's thought-provoking installations; Blanka Sperkova's wire structures suspended between the traditional wire craft of Slovak tinkers and Bruno Munari's experimental objects such as "Concavo-Convesso" (1946-47) and Erna Van Sambeek's unusual pieces made with ordinary objects such as ceramic dishes transfigured through embroidery, lace, pearls and pins and elevated to art.

All the artists featured use the most disparate materials and techniques, focusing on exploring the expressive possibilities offered by threads, through small or larger works.

The artists' approach is varied as some works are based on structural and geometrical concepts or mathematical variables; others look at density, expansion, dimensionality and monumentality.

Some pieces represent abstract forms and shapes or impressive figurative images; others are more decorative but still prompt visitors to ponder about the tactile power of different materials, the importance of manual labour and the powers of objects that actively interact with what surrounds them.

All the creations can be analysed on multiple levels, from different points of view or disciplines (including art, architecture, interior design or fashion, but also technology) and all of them represent the extraordinary and optimistic energy of the artists' gestures.

The most important point remains the fact that each piece represents the journey without an end that threads embark in, accompanying visitors through a sensorial experience involving all one's senses. "Strings" will be the last event organised by the non-profit organisation Lace as an Art.