Fabrik: conceptual, minimalist and performative approaches to textiles

Conceived by Sarah crowEST; curated by Jane O’Neill

Artists: John Barbour, Clementine Barnes, Sarah crowEST, Christine Dean, ADS Donaldson, Mikala Dwyer, David Egan, Andreas Exner, Dana Harris, Louise Haselton, Mark McDean, Elizabeth Newman, Michelle Nikou, Rose Nolan, Virginia Overell, Janet Passehl, Elizabeth Pulie, Stuart Ringholt, Robert Rooney, Kate Sylvester, Lyndal Walker, Jenny Watson, Heimo Zobernig.

Fabrik: conceptual, minimalist and performative approaches to textiles is a multi-venue exhibition held at the University of Melbourne’s Ian Potter Museum of Art and Margaret Lawrence Gallery at the VCA [3 Mar – 2 Apr], and Sutton Project Space [18 Feb – 12 Mar]. The project forms part of the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival Cultural Program.

Fabrik provides a platform for the cross-pollination of ideas across the fields of fashion, textiles and contemporary art. Featuring a selection of new and existing works, the exhibition includes emerging, mid-career and established artists from Australia and overseas. The word fabrik translates from German as ‘workshop’, and refers to the tendency of these artists to address both materials and methods of production. Whether scrunched, snipped, draped, ironed, ripped or threaded, the artworks reveal a strong emphasis on the artists’ physical engagement with textiles. By extension, the exhibition prompts consideration of our own daily interactions with fabric.