Open Call: The Stitch That Bit Back
Fringe Arts Bath Festival, Bath, UK
Deadline:10.04.2026
© Artwork by Chlöe Savage
The Stitch That Bit Back (22 May – 6 June 2026) is a contemporary textile exhibition presented as part of Fringe Arts Bath Festival, bringing together international artists working across embroidery, weaving, lace and constructed textiles.
The exhibition explores the expressive possibilities of fibre — where traditional techniques such as medieval goldwork, jacquard weaving, and lace-making are reimagined through contemporary aesthetics. The result is a collection of works that range from ornate and devotional to architectural and unsettling.
Among the highlights:
- David Morrish (‘Kingfly’) presents gilded frames surrounding machine-embroidered skulls — a dramatic pairing of baroque ornament and digital stitch.
- Tanya Bentham draws on the medieval technique of opus anglicanum, creating richly detailed embroidery that initially resembles a devotional panel before revealing unexpected contemporary narratives.
- Beáta Gerbócová constructs layered jacquard-woven portraits where colour, structure, and pattern create a sense of textile architecture.
- Artists from the Academy of Fine Art and Design in Bratislava bring a Central European approach to textile art rarely seen in the UK, combining geometric abstraction with traditional fibre processes.
Curated by Chloë Savage and Katarína Orolínová, the exhibition places textile practice within the broader language of contemporary visual culture — highlighting the sculptural, decorative and conceptual possibilities of stitch.
Chloë Savage, trained at the École Lesage in Paris and the Royal School of Needlework, is known for highly detailed embroideries that conceal hidden messages in Morse code and braille, while Katarína Orolínová’s practice explores geometric abstraction through embroidery and bobbin lace.
The exhibition forms part of Fringe Arts Bath Festival 2026, a free contemporary arts festival taking place across pop-up venues throughout the city.
More information about the Open Call: www.fringeartsbath.co.uk