Open Space

DAILY ART NEWS

Entwined Matter by Paola Anziché

From the 7th of December, 2022, until the 10th of January, 2023, Tashkeel is holding Entwined Matter, Italian artist Paola Anziché‘s solo exhibition. Considering eco-sustainability to be of great importance in her art practice, Paola Anziché uses natural and recycled materials to create soft textile sculptures.

A crucial part of her art making is deep research of traditional craft techniques. In September, the artist came to Dubai with an aim to develop a new body of work by diving into the UAE’s history and its traditional textile crafts. She has travelled across the country to various locations to explore local architecture and archaeological finds. The places she has visited are Jumeirah Archaeological Site (Dubai); Al Jahili Fort (Al Ain); Meliha and Buhais (Sharjah); and others. Paola has also met with different communities including Emirati craft practitioners who keep the traditional weaving techniques of Telli, Sadu, and Safeefah alive.

Paola Anziché, (Detail) Untitled, 2022. Lotus flower thread, spices, silk, aluminium tube. 133 x 138 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

In Telli, a braid is woven by hand and applied to fabric using a couching stitch. The technique features the metallic straw (khus) twisted or braided with silk, cotton, or synthetic threads to form floral patterns or those related to fauna.

Sadu (Al Sadu) is practised by Bedouin women to make furnishings and decorative items for camels and horses. In 2011, this style of weaving was added to the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

Using the Safeefah technique, one weaves palm leaves (khoos) together to produce baskets, mats, boxes, and other items. Before weaving, the leaves get dried, cleaned, and assembled. Some of them are dyed by being dipped in hot coloured water.

Clockwise: Paola Anziché, Untitled, 2022. Cashmere fibre. 79 x 55 cm; Untitled, 2022. Wool fibre, spices. 29 x 16 cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Paola Anziché (born in 1975, Milan, Italy) resides in Turin, Italy. She received a degree at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, Milan, Italy, and at the Städelschule, Staatliche Hochschule für Bildende Künste, Meisterschülerin, Frankfurt, Germany.

Her artworks have been displayed in a lot of public and private institutions: Salvatore Ferragamo Museum, Florence (2019); Turner Contemporary in Margate, England (2017); XXI Triennale Internazionale, Milan (2016); Kichik QalArt in Yarat, Baku, Azerbaijan (2015); and others.

She has also taken part in such international residency programs as New Roots Foundation, Antigua, Guatemala (2021); Temporars at Muzeum Susch, Susch, Switzerland (2019); Kiosko Galería in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia (2017); HIAP Residency Program, Helsinki (2015); and many others.

In 2019, Paola had her monography ‘La Terra Suona/The Earth Sounds’ published by VIAINDUSTRIAE PUBLISHING.

To get more information, please visit the official web page of the exhibition.

You may also be interested in visiting “The Traps we Weave” by Shivani Aggarwal.

The Foundry Art Space: New Perspectives
Lawrie Shabibi: All Borrow Their Light
Art Dubai Fair: Middle East’s Leading International Art Event
Infinity des Lumières: Raise Vibration
March 2023: Top 10 Art Events in Dubai
The New Headquarters of the BEEAH Group in Sharjah
Art Dubai Digital 2023
Christie’s Art + Tech Summit 2023
Art Dubai Talks 2023: March 5
Art Dubai Talks 2023: March 3 and 4

Most-Read Stories

Dubai Expo 2020. A Look Into the Future
Dubai Expo 2020. A Look Into the Future
Zaha Hadid in the United Arab Emirates. An Architect Ahead of her Time
Zaha Hadid in the United Arab Emirates. An Architect Ahead of her Time
Al Noor Island - a place where art and culture meet nature
Al Noor Island - a place where art and culture meet nature
Norman Foster - an Architect Building the Future. Projects in the United Arab Emirates
Norman Foster - an Architect Building the Future. Projects in the United Arab Emirates
Foundry Art New Perspectives
The Foundry Art Space: New Perspectives
Foundry Art New Perspectives
The Foundry Art Space: New Perspectives
Lawrie Shabibi Borrow Light
Lawrie Shabibi: All Borrow Their Light
Lawrie Shabibi Borrow Light
Lawrie Shabibi: All Borrow Their Light
Art Dubai Fair
Art Dubai Fair: Middle East’s Leading International Art Event
Art Dubai Fair
Art Dubai Fair: Middle East’s Leading International Art Event
Infinity Lumières Raise Vibration
Infinity des Lumières: Raise Vibration
Infinity Lumières Raise Vibration
Infinity des Lumières: Raise Vibration

OpenSpace

Sign Up for our Newsletters

Enter a search term