Curators Sophie Krier and Erik Wong invited visitors to journey through ‘a place where multiple worlds coexist and thrive’ during the 2022 exhibition In Search of the Pluriverse at Nieuw Instituut, Rotterdam. Setting out with the question: How realistic is the idea of such a world, where people and other beings live together in harmony with each other and the environment? The exhibition offered a platform to contemporary makers, doers and thinkers around the globe involved in initiatives that support this pluralistic world view. The Linen Project Linen Stewards were included amongst the contributors, sharing outcomes and projects stemming from their collective flax harvests:
‘In the flax industry it is common practice to blend the fibre from various harvest seasons to achieve a consistent linen quality. In the material developed by (Linen Steward) Heleen Klopper, a handwoven textile by Eva Klee from linen fibre spun from The Linen Project’s sublime 2019 flax harvest forms a ‘safety net’ for the shorter, brittle fibres from the Shared Stewardship 2020 flax crop. The felting properties of wool are used to fuse these into one fabric. Working together with fellow linen stewards Sebastiaan Kramer and Sjaak Hullekes, the design of the bodywarmer emerged.’
‘The 2020 flax harvest produced a fibre that was less suitable for fine spun and woven linen that we are used to. A group of enthusiastic linen stewards bundled their skills and curiosity; by working together and exchanging ideas, over time creating a collective garment formed by the contribution of their individual talents.’ collective garment makers – Melanie Bomans, Catharina van Eetvelde, Joan den Exter, Pascale Gatzen, Henrike Gootjes, Maaike Gottschal, Hans Hutting, Marieke van Mieghem, Ellen Rooijakkers.
Read more about In Search of the Pluriverse. The exhibition and accompanying interactive public programme originally took place at Nieuw Instituut, Rotterdam, from April to August 2022.