Window Shopping in a Hypnopompic State: Bergdorf Goodman X Kustaa Saksi

In yesterday's post we linked art fashion and interior design through the layout of a museum exhibition, yet there are different ways to look at these themes.

New-York based department stores Bergdorf Goodman are currently showcasing in their windows (754 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10019; until 13th August 2015) an exhibition of the Hypnopompic tapestries by Finnish artist Kustaa Saksi.

Rather than being used as backgrounds for the fashion designs in the windows, the eight large-scale wool tapestries depicting Saksi's surrealist interpretations of the hypnopompic state of semi-consciousness, represent the main focus of the windows.

Quite often the commercial integration of an artist's installation in a window shop doesn't look very interesting, and artworks end up looking like secondary chic props employed to highlight luxury products. In this case instead the windows offer the chance to look at proper artworks in all their beauty and in a very different context from that of a gallery or a museum.

Rather than hinting at consumerism or, as we said, acting as props, the textiles – made of mohair and alpaca wool, cotton, and synthetic materials such as phosphate and metallic acrylic thread – offer viewers and passers-by the chance to indulge in an arty moment even while rushing in the street.

The main colours, prints and patterns of the designs picked to accompany the tapestries also go well with them and the windows could be interpreted as miniature representations of colourful surreal dreams and visions.

The tradition of orchestrating the perfect window shop goes a long way, having started in Paris in 1894 with wax dummies, but Bergdorf Goodman surely took it to another level in this case as Saksi' colourful pieces with their intricate motifs and abstract images of creatures and animals, such as spiders, monkeys and insects, form eye-catching graphic patterns and textures, vivid landscapes of psychedelic worlds.

David Hoey, Visual Director at Bergdorf Goodman stated in an official press release about the event: "The tapestries featured in the Bergdorf Goodman windows are wonderful viewed at varying distances. Fascinating from across the street, and even more rewarding when viewed close up, where one can savor the exquisite weaving technique. We selected fall looks with exceptional textures to compliment the incredible craftsmanship of the tapestries."

Artist and designer Kustaa Saksi is well known for his intricately colourful textiles and tapestries, but also for his fashion collaborations such as his prints for Marimekko.

Contacted by Irenebrination via email, Saksi stated about this project: "The collaboration with Bergdorf Goodman came about when Visual Director David Hoey saw my artworks and we discussed the possibility of showcasing the whole collection at the famous windows. Naturally, I was very excited to have the honour of using all of their windows on 5th & 58th Street. I love the fact that so many people will see them when passing by their beautiful building in New York. I find it very interesting to sometimes bring artworks outside galleries and to have a new audience for my art. It's fascinating to see the way my contemporary tapestries are flirting with fashion for the Fall 2015 season."