2 Exhibitions in 2 Days.

Over the last 2 days I did see 2 very different exhibitions. 

Yesterday: "THREADS" in Museum Arnhem.

Today the exhibition: Karl Lagerfeld "Parallele Gegensätze" in Museum Folkwang in Essen(D).

"THREADS" is about textiles and modern art. With textiles I do have a long time love affair, so I was really looking forward to go. The exhibition wasn't disappointing at all. I thought while walking around that is was very brave of the conservator to bring all this work to the public. What I liked the most that there is work from totally unknown artist who often come from different countries and continents.

When entering the first room I had to look at the beautiful black and gold "Kashmiri Shawl" hanging from the ceiling. The work is by Aisha Khalid who lives and works in Lahore, Pakistan.

But, it wasn't gold embroidery I was looking. The "Bhuta" pattern is made by inserting thousends of golden pins through a layer of 2 shawls. That particular pattern is very wellknown in the global world, but hardly anyone knows about the still ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan about the region Kashmir. There is a very strong political attitude in this work, which I really admired.

                                   

                             

Another work which touched me deeply was the work by the Chinese artist: Tiffany Chung named: 

"Scratching the walls of memory". It is about historical traumatism, and the messages on the bags and plates are by the victims of disasters as the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, but also by victims of the Berlin wall and boat refugees. I was really moved by this work, because it tells the story of the ordinary people who struggle with there life and trying to get into terms with it.

         

                                      

                            

                                       

Like a dark fairytale is the work "Life of Thread" by the Japanese artist Chihara Shiota. She creates her own space by stretching hundreds of threads through the room. What a work this must have been to do. But, beautiful and very strong.

                                         

Much more can be seen, but better go there yourself. 

How different was the exhibition about "Kaiser Karl Lagerfeld". This multitalent is not only a fashion designer, but also a very good photographer, a product designer and he has his own publishing house.

The exhibition opens with a small copy of his workplace. Packed with loads of books with various themes used by him to develop his work.

        

Ofcourse there is fashion photograpy as this serie influenced by the painter Edward Hopper.

         

Themes in his photography are: the naked human body, landscapes, architecture and the antique world. Various examples can be seen as this serie about Casa Malaparte on the isle of Capri, and a print on glass about the myth of Ulysses.

        

       

Another piece that I liked very much was the serie of photo's which tells the story of: The picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Very sensual done.

        

And ofcourse there is fashion. Garments from the Chanel Haute Couture collection Winter 2013/2014.

Presented in the Grand Palais. It shows a demolished theatre with a stage a view to a world of skyscrapers.

                                  

                                   

Really worth to go there. The museum itself is also a real beauty.

Both of the exhibitions are really inspirational and a joy to see.