Welcome to Poland
Christina Hesford
15th International Triennial of Tapestry
Earlier this month I took a trip over to Poland to have a tour around the country and to attend the opening of the 15th International Triennial of Tapestry in which I was taking part! I was expecting to find grey, tired cities with little culture or friendliness. Instead, I found a beautiful country, full of interesting historic buildings, beautiful mountainous scenery, and exciting, up-and-coming places. A place to return to!
The main reason for my visit was to attend the opening of the 15th International Triennial of Tapestry. I was one of four UK representatives alongside Ian Nigel Hurlstone, Michelle Stephens, and Laura Thomas.
My piece 'Dénouement' was on display alongside work by 135 other artists from 46 countries. This hand-woven artwork is comprised of woven silk, covered in a mass of over 4,500 hand-tied knots. I wanted to challenge the notion of perfection by using something imperfect, a knot, to create something beautiful; to see imperfection as perfection.
Additionally, I wanted to examine how this idea relates to people's perception of themselves, as fallible beings, when we live in a throw-away society that does not take the time to repair what has been broken, but simply throws it away.
The term dénouement usually refers to the resolution of a play, film or narrative, when all of the strands of the story are unravelled and explained. It's literal meaning, however, is 'to untie'. By using the title 'Dénouement', this artwork creates an opportunity for these tensions to be considered and perhaps resolved, not by the untying of the knots, but by their acceptance as an imperfect perfection.
The exhibition is open from May 9th to October 30th, 2016 at the Central Museum of Textiles, Łodz, Poland.