We are Textile Culture Net!

EVENT DESCRIPTION

CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile) proudly presents a highly collaborative and participatory Summer Programme 2022, titled We are Textile Culture Net!. Opening to the public from 27 August to 9 October, 2022, the Summer Programme is a combination of exhibition and workshops which unite international and local institutions, art practitioners, community groups and visitors alike.

Collaboration in Trying Times
The original Textile Culture Net (TCN) was an initiative borne out of the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Awarded Special Mentions in the Outstanding Museum Practices Award 2021 by CIMAM (International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art), the project was lauded for forging new transnational collaboration models in response to the global pandemic situation and ecological urgency.
Bringing together 4 textile art and design institutions across the world: CHAT in Hong Kong, The Central Museum of Textiles in Łódź, Poland, Lottozero in Prato, Italy and TextielMuseum in Tilburg, the Netherlands, TCN commenced in Spring 2020 with a series of online contemporary art exhibitions with selected works from each institution.

In this 2022 iteration, CHAT selects three works presented by TCN in the past, namely by ABOUT A WORKER, Pamela Bożek and Yamuna Forzani, and juxtaposes them with contemporary artworks by Alma Quinto from the CHAT Collection as well as community projects in collaboration with Rebirth Garments and Caritas Bianchi College of Careers. As part of the Summer Programme, CHAT expands its creative net to include active participation from CHAT’s local collaborators and visitors in Seed to Textile, CHAT’s ongoing community programme. This year, collaborators in this programme (known as Seeders), including Breakthrough Art Studio, Elizabeth Briel, Eastman Cheng, Hao Lap Yan Benjamin, Ma Wing Man and Pop & Zebra, invite local community groups to take part in research and experimentation to create new collaborative works and works-in-progress to be presented during the exhibition period.

Diversity and Inclusivity
Upholding CHAT’s mission to weave creative experiences for all, the upcoming exhibition and workshops are conducted with the aim to engage with people with diverse backgrounds. The exhibited contemporary artworks and projects have been realised through collaboration with various groups, from Alma Quinto’s work with migrant workers in Hong Kong, to Rebirth Garments’ commissioned work with the LGBTQ+ community. In Seed to Textile, Seeders work with ethnic-diverse and migrant groups, mental health concern groups, schools and more.

Sustainability
Addressing the impact that various industries have had on the environment, CHAT’s Seed to Textile programme in particular focuses on raising awareness of environmental concerns through interactive displays, walk-in activities and workshops utilising recycled textile and natural materials.

Later in September, CHAT will also launch its Learning Tour on Sustainability for group booking, curated to educate audiences about contemporary practices and ecological urgencies. Targeted at students and industry players, the tour endeavours to equip and inspire audiences to imagine a sustainable future.

Experiential Museum Visit
A major highlight in the Summer Programme is the variety of hands-on activities and experiences provided for visitors. Over the course of the season, visitors to CHAT will be able to take part in zero-waste garment-making workshops, artwork-making and dyeing activities as part of the museum experience, suitable for families, arts and cultural practitioners, textile enthusiasts and novices alike.

Takahashi Mizuki, Executive Director and Chief Curator of CHAT, says, ‘We are Textile Culture Net! represents the friendship and trust we have built during the pandemic as well as CHAT’s spirit of inclusivity to gather communities for their well- being through creative practices. I hope that this creative net will continue to expand with visitors’ participation, nurture creative ideas and stimulate the joy of making with our own hands for all who visit CHAT.’

Law Pik Yu Eugenia, Assistant Curator of CHAT, says, ‘Prompted by the pressing challenges of the pandemic, we ask ourselves, how does building networks and collaborating with nature and other beings coax common understandings and create transformative power? We look forward to the collective results and explorations from Seeders, community members, and visitors.’