Peninsulares Iberian Meetings of Contemporary Textile Art

Peninsulares Iberian Meetings of Contemporary Textile Art is a joint project of Ideias Emergentes (Contextile Contemporary Textile Art Biennial) and Indigo Proyectos (Lala de Dios) that, starting in 2013, is organized, if the occasion arises, in the years between biennials to promote Spanish and Portuguese textile artists and exchanges between two countries that share so many things. In 2023 the fourth edition is being held around the theme Territory(ies) of Wool.

The Spanish and Portuguese territories on both sides of the “raya” (line) – as the neighboring populations call the border- share centuries of commercial, cultural and personal exchanges around wool. An example is the Wool Route -Translana that begins at the old Malpartida wool laundry in Cáceres, Spain – today the Vostell Museum – and ends at the Royal Factory Veiga – Wool Museum and other factories in Covilhã, Portugal, some 200 kms away. Precisely this museum hosts the exhibition until September 30th to then travel to El Brocense Art Gallery in the city of Cáceres where it will run from October 26th to November 25th.

The curators Cláudia Melo and Lala de Dios have selected twelve artists, six Spanish and six Portuguese: Alexandre Camarao, Altina Mar, Ana Rita Albuquerque, Celia Eslava, Irene Infantes, Leonor Serrano Rivas, Luisa Donaire, Soledad Santisteban, Susana Arce, Susana Cereja, Tiago Pereira and Vanessa Barragão.

The exhibition includes woven or embroidered tapestries, collages, felt works, sculptures, installations and videos that show not only the plastic potential of wool but also its capacity as a container and/or provocateur of collective and personal memories.

The Peninsulares program has been completed with artists in residence. In Covilhã these artists were the Spanish Ana Musma and the Portuguese Patrícia Oliveira, whose works were part of this exhibition.

The works of the Spanish artist Asunción Molinos and the Portuguese Patricia Geraldes were shown as part of the cycle Under the Stars that the Vostell Museum at Malpartida de Cáceres stages all Thursday nights in July. A performance was held on the installation by Patricia Geraldes as well as the performance of a local singer who improvised on current affairs, in the style of old shepherding songs backed by the projection of Asuncion Molinos’ videos recorded on several wool factories. The complicity of the residents of Malpartida, especially the associations that preserve the traditional knowledge associated with pastoralism and wool culture was essential in turning the show into a memorable night

The program was completed with various workshops on the topic of wool and talks on textile art and its position in contemporary art as well as on the history of the territories hosting the exhibitions.

More information at www.peninsulares.eu