Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Culture in Sweden 2016
Left: Pablo Picasso’s Musical Fawn, part of Artist Textiles – Picasso to Warhol. Photo: Target Gallery London. Middle Above: Megaman II by Per Fhager, part of Game Over. Photo: Carl Henrik Tillberg. Middle Below: Illustration by Karin Olsson, part of Stilmedveten. Right: From the new permanent exhibition, Textil Kraft. Photo: Jan Berg
Super Mario, Picasso and conscious fashion It looks like an exciting spring and summer is on the cards at the heart of the Swedish textile industry, with innovative computer games, embroidery, glimpses of conscious fashion trends and legendary artists on show. By Malin Norman
Borås is the textile hub in Sweden and also the base for trendy design offices, online fashion and textile import companies. Located in the city is also the Textile Fashion Center, a cluster of forward-looking institutions including the Swedish School of Textiles, the Fashion Gallery, Smart Textiles and the Textile Museum of Sweden. Open in this new location since 2014, the museum welcomes around 60,000 visitors every year, with textile collections dating from the 1870s to the present day, a treasure not only for the designs but also as an important source of knowledge about the technology behind them. “This is the only museum in Sweden focused solely on textiles,” says museum curator Eva Blomqvist. “The location is perfect, with the heritage of Borås, and as part of the Textile Fashion Center we also keep up with new research and trends.” 64 | Issue 86 | March 2016
Spring and summer highlights A hot topic is sustainable fashion. The ongoing exhibition Stilmedveten (Style Conscious) is open until 15 May and covers the current topic of over-consumption in the western world, including information on working conditions in the textile industry and facts and tips for sustainable consumption. The 162-kilogramme pile of clothes on display, representing how much Borås residents consume per hour, certainly provides food for thought. The museum is constantly working on new additions. “We have several new shows in different genres. This will be a superb summer!” Blomqvist reveals. First up is new permanent exhibition, Textil Kraft (Textile Power), opening on 19 March with a look at industry processes, impact and innovation. Another summer highlight is Artist Textiles – Picasso to Warhol, from 16 April. This private Lon-
don collection includes around 200 textile patterns from the ‘20s and up until the ‘60s by famous artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Chagall and Warhol. Showing retro computer game cross-stitch designs by Per Fhager, Game Over will open on 26 May. Do not miss this chance to relive the likes of Super Mario, Mega Man and Zelda. In addition to its exhibitions, visitors can take part in lectures and workshops, experiment with their own designs or try on vintage clothes in the DIY area, or perhaps find a new gem in the design shop. For more information, please visit: www.textilmuseet.se
New temporary exhibitions: Stilmedveten 30 January – 15 May Artist Textiles – Picasso to Warhol 16 April – 25 September Game Over 26 May – 11 September