Textiles have often been saddled with restrictive definitions around craft and gender stereotypes, when in fact, they have formed some of the most radical and progressive works of the last century. Many artists have played with these definitions, creating subversive feminist works and expansive sculptural forms. ‘Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art’, a show of 50 intergenerational artists at the Barbican Centre in London, explores quite how far the medium has evolved in the last sixty years.
“It’s a really capacious, expansive view of what textiles are,” says assistant curator Diego Chocano. “I hope viewers are surprised about what we are considering to be textile practice, because a lot of the artists are trying to push those boundaries and expand.” The works address issues of violence and colonialism, as well as ideas around love, hope and resistance. The show brings together long-established and emerging names from around the world, including Faith Ringgold, Cecilia Vicuña, Billie Zangewa, Louise Bourgeois, Ghada Amer and Tracey Emin.
