Fabrics play a key role in the history of dependency. The production, distribution and use of textiles and their raw materials had and still has a huge impact on societies around the globe. In our digital exhibition, we reveal the underlying power structures that are responsible for the manifold "strong asymmetrical dependencies" related to fabrics. By drawing on more than 30 exhibits from around the world, our "story patches" will take you on a journey across time, regions and cultures, from the earliest settlements to today’s consumer societies.
We are launching our digital exhibition with a physical pop-up exhibition at the Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek (ULB) in Bonn, featuring a range of objects from our growing digital collection. Everyone is welcome!
Further reading:
In the accompanying volume "Abhängig" ('Dependent'), edited by Martin Bentz, Nikolai Grube and Patrick Zeidler, seven of our cluster members illuminate "strong asymmetrical dependencies" related to fabrics from a cross-cultural and diachronic perspective. However, they also go beyond the resource of textile and examine the diverse spectrum of human dependency relationships in connection with basic foodstuffs and luxury foods.
The volume will be available (in German) from Sandstein Verlag as of 20 October 2024. An English translation will be released in due course.
PLEASE REGISTER HERE BY 22 OCTOBER