Raum-Gewebe

After more than two decades, Johanna Morel von Schulthess discovered, to her own surprise, her diverse weaving works, which had been stored safely and intact in the basement of her house. She is now opening this archive to the public. Her textile diary traces how she began weaving in the early 1970s, was taught in America, the techniques she learned, where she exhibited, and the influences that shaped her work until the mid-1990s. This period is divided into different phases, ranging from traditional weaving to sculptural, space-consuming textile objects, and experimental, installation-like wall pieces made with innovative, non-textile materials. Around 140 illustrated works are accompanied by an autobiographically oriented commentary that reflects the influences of the (textile) arts on Morel's work and its societal relevance. It also highlights that weaving, which was predominantly associated with women at that time, asserted a claim to artistic engagement and fought for societal recognition with its distinctive aesthetics. Morel's age-wise perspective on her productive past unites biography, a commitment to textile art, and the transmission of artistic practice.