I NEED A LITTLE SOMETHING TO PROTECT ME
Working Textiles at the Temporary Gallery
19 April, 3 May, 17 May, 31 May
Fridays, 3—6 p.m.

 

As part of the exhibition Blue Binding Ribbon in the Temporary Gallery, Working Textile organizes 4 meetings in the exhibition space to share and stitch together their new participative piece 'I need a little something to protect me'. We will be happy to see you.

"Thimbles are one of the oldest tools used for sewing. They are not only important to prevent injuries but also often carry the story of their owner and origin in their pattern. In this work, we take the thimble as a symbol to reflect on protection and care. Visitors are invited to shape them by stitching or sewing. They can also be used as stools to sit down, relax, talk, or work."

Working Textiles was founded in October 2022 by five students of the Art Academy of Düsseldorf: Marie Schubert, Alissa Ritter, Sofia Magdits Espinoza, Karla Kleinschmidt and Helene Kuschnarew. Working Textiles is an open textile workshop, and an exchange platform establishing a non-hierarchical meeting point that enables the transfer of textile skills and knowledge within and outside the Academy. Throughout one year, trying to compensate for the absence of a textile workshop at the school, Working Textiles organized meetings and workshops that took place in the hallway in front of room 121 in the Art Academy of Düsseldorf. Then, with the support of the funding on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the Art Academy, they moved into their own space which, from September to November 2023, was transformed into a textile workshop and a place for collaborative work, equipped with various machines and materials. From there, Working Textiles organized workshops, artist talks, and various events like a pop-up store, a runway screening, a thrift shop, and a dinner, stimulating the discourse about textiles and its different connections and connotations. By closely working together and meeting regularly, a network was created that provided support in times of global crisis and opened a space to counteract isolation and alienation.