How and Why mix different arts in the exhibitions

Inge Mardal and Steen Hougs, a danish quilting couple living in France, have an interesting view on how and why mix different types of art in one exhibition. (as opposed to having a "only quilts" or "only textile art" expo)

"The other exhibition we often refer to and liked was “Clinch,” staged in 2004 at Denmark’s national gallery (Statens Museum for Kunst) in Copenhagen. Here, the interesting factor was the play between artworks (paintings, sculptures, installations) from the museum’s collections and archives, chosen by the individual artists, and the works of the artists themselves.

The fil rouge of this exhibition was that the participating artists could select works from the museum’s archives and collections—typically older works, some dating back  200–300 years—to match or confront their own artworks. This idea was brilliant, because it allowed for a very rich and interesting encounter with the exhibiting artists, not only through their own works, but certainly also
through the works they had chosen as artistic accompaniment. We think this idea could be adapted to our corner of the art world and provide visitors a very enriching experience. it would also be interesting for the artists, the curators, the gallery, and the press."

from "Perspectives on Art and Quilting with Inge Mardal and Steen Hougs", a free ebook by Quilting Daily.

To learn more about Steen and Inge and to see their inspirational work, visit mardal-hougs.com.