Louise Bourgeois at Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
Unravel
The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art
September 14, 2024 until January 5, 2025
Stedelijk Museum
Amsterdam, Netherlands
In Unravel, artists from around the world present extraordinary artworks, from large-scale, colorful and expressive installations, to delicate and intimate pieces about love, resilience, power, and resistance. The group show features over a hundred works by 45 artists, including such famous names as Louise Bourgeois, Sheila Hicks, and Tracey Emin, but also younger artists.
Few things are as present in our everyday lives as textiles. They cover and protect us, engage our senses, trigger our memories and represent our beliefs and tastes. Yet textiles remained underexamined in art history, while contemporary artists have rediscovered the powerful possibilities of textiles to tell their personal histories. In Unravel, the Stedelijk brings together 46 international contemporary artists, both renowned names like Louise Bourgeois, Tracey Emin and Sheila Hicks and many from younger generations from around the world. The exhibition consists of approximately 100 works, 9 of which are from the Stedelijk collection, including recent acquisitions. Many of the international artists have not previously been shown in the Netherlands. From intimate handmade pieces to large-scale sculptures: the colorful works in this group show are overwhelming and highlight impressive stories about power, resistance and survival, but also about resilience, love and hope. Artists with diverse, global perspectives share their personal histories, which are also current social and political stories. Artists featured in Unravel include: Pacita Abad, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Igshaan Adams, Ghada Amer, the Arpilleristas, Mercedes Azpilicueta, Kevin Beasley, Sanford Biggers, Louise Bourgeois, Diedrick Brackens, Jagoda Buić, Margarita Cabrera, Feliciano Centurión, Judy Chicago, Myrlande Constant, Cian Dayrit, Tracey Emin, Gee’s Bend/Lorraine Pettway, Jeffrey Gibson, Antonio Jose Guzman & Iva Jankovic, Harmony Hammond, Sheila Hicks, Nicholas Hlobo, Yee I-Lann, Kimsooja, Tau Lewis, Ibrahim Mahama, Teresa Margolles, Georgina Maxim, Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, Violeta Parra, Antonio Pichillá Quiacaín, Faith Ringgold, LJ Roberts, Zamthingla Ruivah, Hannah Ryggen, Tschabalala Self, Mounira Al Solh, Angela Su, Lenore Tawney, T. Vinoja, Cecilia Vicuña, Billie Zangewa, and Sarah Zapata.