CONVERSAR. Between the body and the straw
To Experiment Textile

CONVERSAR*. BETWEEN THE BODY AND THE STRAW is an exhibition proposed by the artist Julie B. Lambert (Quebec, Canada) after the artistic residency she conceived for the biennial Contextile 2022 in Guimarães, for which she had the cooperation of Museu da Palha de Fafe (Museu of Straw of Fafe) and local artisans. This same exhibition was also in BILP (Biennale International du Lin de Portneuf, Quebec).

The exhibition is part of the “To experiment Textile” initiatives promoted by Ideias Emergentes in partnership with Contextile Biennial, which take place in the territory of Vale do Ave, with the aim of connecting the various realities of textile between each other, the different audiences and communities, to the process of creation around the textile element.

*CONVERSAR – To converse, to have a conversation.

“Braided straw, a fascinating and luminous material, is the source of inspiration guiding my approach throughout this project. The characteristics of the straw, its qualities and constraints, were the guiding thread, the respected watchword.

I wanted to discover the Portuguese culture through a particular know-how, specific to the region that welcomes me. Here, I met people of great generosity, who made all the braids necessary for the realization of this exhibition.

It was during the artistic residency organized by the Contextile Biennial, last summer, that I created all the works gathered under the title: Porter les silences. Série reminiscences. (Carrying the silences. Reminiscences series).

In it, I address our relationship to the body. Traditional straw objects are mainly containers. They are made to carry precious things that we want to wrap with beauty or to protect our head delicately and with style.

I asked myself: what if I had to create a custom container to carry something precious, what would I need to carry? Which shape would be useful and fit my proportions? This is the starting point for these large baskets that carry silences. I imagined these volumes, molded to the body, as imprints of our postures supporting invisible weights.”

Julie B. Lambert