There's a significant presence of textile artists or of artists inspired by textiles and weaving at the 60th International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, such as the Mataaho Collective.
Established in Aotearoa, New Zealand, in 2012, the collective comprises four Māori women artists - Bridget Reweti, Erena Arapere-Baker, Sarah Hudson, and Terri Te Tau. Over the past decade, they've honed their craft, creating large-scale fiber-based installations that look at the complexities of Māori life and knowledge systems, pushing the boundaries of weaving in innovative ways.
At the Arsenale, the collective presented "Takapau" (2022), a recreation of an installation originally showcased at the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa.
The piece explores the weaving techniques of the takapau within Te Papa's collection alongside the whariki designed by Kura Te Waru Rewiri in Rongomaraeroa, created in the 1990s.
The whariki takapau, intricately woven mats traditionally crafted with plants like harakeke or kiekie, elevate and add mana to significant events such as weddings, births and funerals.
The finely woven mats dictate therefore the space, transforming it from mundane to ceremonial, imbuing significance into every corner and delineating spaces within different ceremonial occasions.
At the Arsenale, "Takapau" boasts perfect symmetry, its multiple perspectives offering viewers a diverse experience.
As stated above, "Takapau" is installed in the first room of the building, in a dialogue also with Yinka Shonibare's "Refugee Astronaut VIII" (2924) that, standing near the main door, looks as if it were heading towards the space station-like futuristic structure created by the Mataaho Collective.
The original ceremonial mats that inspired the installation are reinterpreted here as an architectural structure, dividing the space and forming intricate canopies over visitors' heads, casting light and shadow patterns on the floor and walls, symbolizing the transition between light and darkness and the duality of the Te Ao Marama (the realm of light) and Te Ao Atua (the realm of the gods).
The woven structure is also a threshold between the outside world and the world of the biennale, almost a portal introducing to a chaos of colors and mediums that overwhelms the senses.
One key element of the installation is the material: constructed using polyester hi-vis tie-downs, stainless steel buckles, and j-hooks, "Takapau" layers industrial materials with cultural symbolism.
Indeed, these tie-downs, typically used for securing cargo, pay homage to laborers while underscoring themes of interdependence and legacy.
Fashion and textile designers can draw lessons from the collective's approach to materials, patterns, and space. Reflective straps and buckles serve as vital materials, intricately woven to create patterns and forming a very resistant roof that looks as if it were made of metal or aluminum, while space defines the installation's essence.
Besides, the collective shows how traditional art can be a starting point, something that can enrich the vision of a creative mind and turn into an inspiration rather than into mere appropriation.
Another important aspect of this installation is the hands-on approach: Archie Moore at the Australian Pavilion spent a couple of months hand-writing of the walls of the pavilion a monumental family tree; in this case the women behind the collective prefer a hands-on approach that involves weaving the installation by themselves.
Yesterday, at the 60th International Art Exhibition awarding ceremony, the collective won the Golden Lion for the Best Artist (marking the first time a New Zealand artwork has won the award), with the following motivation: "The Maori Mataaho Collective has created a luminous woven structure of straps that poetically crisscross the gallery space. Referring to matrilinear traditions of textiles with its womb-like cradle, the installation is both a cosmology and a shelter. Its impressive scale is a feat of engineering that was only made possibly by the collective strength and creativity of the group. The dazzling pattern of shadows cast on the walls and floor harks back to ancestral techniques and gestures to future uses of such techniques."
Will the Mataaho Collective ever be invited to collaborate with a fashion house at some point in future? Probably yes. They could indeed create site-specific artwork for a runway show or come up with a product collaboration. Maybe it is to early to say it, but I'm betting on Dior and Bottega Veneta.
Image credits for this post
1 - 3. and 9. "Takapau" by the Mataaho Collective, Installation views, The 60th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Photographer: Marco Zorzanello.
4 - 8. "Takapau" by the Mataaho Collective, Installation views, The 60th International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia. Photographer: Anna Battista.
10. The Mataaho Collective receives the Golden Lion for Best participation, The 60th International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, Award Ceremony, 20th April 2024, Photo: Andrea Avezzù, Courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia.
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