Happy Coincidences
2021 - Triennale Brugge
Happy Coincidences is a five-part installation. Two parts of the Summer-long installation were installed at the street of Verversdijk. All the textile imagery and objects were donated by the citizens of Brugge. Due to pandemic, this was built in Brooklyn, and printed and installed in Belgium for the Triennale. Each fabric piece was donated by someone from the city. Stories behind the objects and textiles are known through conversation and a future booklet that will be made at the end of the Triennale.
Real-Fabric Installation: There are three locations that will drape the real fabric installations. • House of Time: Silo • Lace Museum • Library at Biekorf.
All staggered through the Summer to move visitors to different locations. See this MAP for the dates and locations.
Real-Fabric Installations
From April 16 - June 2nd we created three Real-Fabric textile installations. Over +750 volunteers from the city of Brugge helped sew these three pieces together. All the fabric was donated..
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Silo @ HouseofTime
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The Lace Museum
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Library at Biekorf
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Silo @ HouseofTime
May 24 - July 7th, 2021
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Lace Museum
July 16th - Sept 3rd, 2021
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Library at Biekorf
Sept 3rd - Oct 24th , 2021
Verversdijk
Verversdijk - the street name which translated is “dyer’s dock”
Due to the pandemic we were not able to create a large-scale fabric installation for this location. Instead I met virtually with many citizens of Brugge, learning about their day-to-day events, and what textiles or objects had some historical importance to them. Sometimes the digital donations were filled with deeper stories, and other times, the stories were simple and every day. I see this work as a time-capsule and representation of the people of Brugge, at that time.
Real-Fabric installations
During the shut-down in Belgium, I arrived in Brugge in the middle of April, 2021. Together with over 700+ volunteers and students from the city we built three large-scale fabric installations for the Triennale Brugge. Locations were: House of Time, The Lace Museum and the Library at Biekorf. All the fabric was donated, and we had hundreds of students we taught how to pin, stitch, and sketch the project to make it an all inclusive civic work.
Stories were told over the sewing machines and tables. Even though we wore masks and coats (it was cold! open for air flow) it was a moment for people to come together and connect. It was a time of separation and worry, this project opened the hearts of many local citizens to explore textile as a method of expression, and to see how our collective action made an awe-inspiring art installation.
Public Sewing Days
Due to the PANDEMIC we began this project virtually. I met with citizens and children’s classrooms in Brugge via the internet. We shared stories of fabric, and talked about how the sewing days were going to begin during a time when we needed to stay safe.
From April 16th - June 3rd we had over 700+ volunteers from the city of Brugge visit the sewing location at the House of Time. The “Belgiek” was a temporary structure built for the sewing days that allowed for the removal of walls to provide air-flow and safe working conditions.
All the fabric was donated… and all the hands and stories that were put into the project were generously volunteered. I learned so much about the city of Brugge, and feel that I have a new family over seas after this project.
