Kaurna people
South Australia
AGSA brings to the City of Adelaide another world-class exhibition, offering a glimpse of some rarely shown pieces from AGSA’s own collection, as well as pieces sourced from NGA and Government House. The exhibition showcases over 150 works, including 38 living South Australian artists alongside 7 new commissions.
A fascinating insight into the unexpected role that fabric arts play in our society, the Radical Textiles exhibition takes the viewer on a journey through over a century of political and social change. The exhibition has engaged with a wide variety of audiences including the craft community, Queer community, activists, makers, designers, artists and the Deaf community. Across the four-month exhibition period, the gallery has a rich program of events to engage local and visiting audiences including seminars, accessible tours, craft revival, sustainable fashion and children’s workshops facilitated by local makers, deepening Adelaide’s rich cultural life.
Drawing from the Gallery’s collection, major loans and new works, the curatorial team worked closely with GGA to realise a bold, dynamic exhibition design which took the audience on a journey about the radical power of textiles across quilting, tapestry, knitting, soft sculpture and fashion. Enlivening the curatorial premise, the GGA team used colour as conduit for the exhibition design with the use of bright political reds, soft fleshy hues and party purple to tell the story of radicalism from protest to performance. The immersive visitor experience is thanks to the daring vision and vibrant design by the GGA team.