To Dye For
TextielMuseum, Tilburg, NL
09.04.-02.10.2022

To Dye For<br>TextielMuseum, Tilburg, NL<br>09.04.-02.10.2022

Campaign image 'To Dye For', photo: Antonio Guzman

From the sofa you sit on to the clothes you wear, textiles are everywhere and are always dyed. This spring, the TextielMuseum will present ‘To Dye For’, an exhibition that lets visitors delve into the origins of and stories behind the dyes in our textiles, based on old and new art, fashion and design. In the exhibition, which is suitable for all ages, the museum explores the dyeing process and the beauty and dilemmas of colour in textiles.

Textile dyes have an immense impact on human and environmental health. The exhibition explores the challenges of textile dyeing and various solutions developed by artisans, designers, scientists and artists past and present. The exhibition presents a wide range of fashion, art and design objects with dyed or coloured textiles, both from the museum’s collection as well as new works by international artists and designers. In a special dye-it-yourself lab, which is open at weekends, you can also try dyeing for yourself, colouring a T-shirt with natural dyes. With a playful and interactive exploration of colour in textiles, the exhibition also offers the whole family a fun day out.

The world of colour in textiles

The exhibition, which takes red, blue and yellow as its starting point, will uncover the world behind colour sources and dyeing techniques in different countries and periods, based on an art, fashion or design piece. For example, contemporary scientific innovations such as dyeing with pigment-producing bacteria will be presented alongside indigenous traditions based on natural colourants. The exhibition will also reflect on the consequences of centuries of textile dyeing for people and planet – from the relationship with the colonial past and (modern) slavery to global (water) pollution – and showcase sustainable solutions and innovations.

New work by Claudy Jongstra and other artists and designers

Artist Claudy Jongstra is known worldwide for her expertise in natural dyeing, which is reflected in her acclaimed installations and wall hangings made of felted wool. For the TextielMuseum, Jongstra is developing a new work that is not only made from local wool and plant-based dyes but will also be woven in the TextielLab. This new work will be featured in the exhibition. Artists Nan Groot Antink, Antonio Guzman, Angelica Falkeling, Aboubakar Fofana, Aliki van der Kruijs and designer Nienke Hoogvliet are also creating new works for the exhibition. In addition, recent work will be on display by makers such as Porfirio Guttiérez, Susana Mejía, Living Color (Laura Luchtman and Ilfa Siebenhaar) in collaboration with Puma, and Studio Formafantasma.

Dye your own T-shirt

‘To Dye For’ revolves around craftsmanship in textiles, and also gives room to visitors to do so. At weekends, you can try textile dyeing yourself in a dye-it-yourself lab that the TextielMuseum is developing together with designer Nienke Hoogvliet. Using common kitchen and garden products such as rosemary and basil, visitors can add colour to white, second-hand T-shirts. They will also be able to explore the TextielTuin, a neighbourhood greenhouse on the museum grounds where local residents grow plants and herbs for natural dyes. With these, artist Nan Groot Antink, known for her large monochrome wall hangings, will create a new art installation together with the participants, which will gradually take shape in the exhibition. The TextielMuseum also organises various activities for young and old around the TextielTuin.

Fun for the whole family

The youngest visitors can experience colours in textiles by embarking on a multi-sensory exploration through the exhibition, with an audio tour that brings the colours to life as characters. How many types of black can you discover? And did you know that the most beautiful red comes from a small scale insect, which is often in your food?

Press release:

TextielMuseum Tilburg
Goirkestraat 96
5046 GN Tilburg
 
 

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