CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
Omsorg
Exhibition period: January 31 – May 25, 2025
The exhibition Omsorg showcases the mended works and techniques of textile artist Takao “Momi” Momiyama. Momiyama’s upbringing in Japan before the consumer society took hold has contributed to a work that is about care, recycling, and patching and mending. Momiyama’s work is based on the importance of taking care of one’s things and giving time, having time, taking care of time, and sharing one’s time.
The exhibition delves into Takao Momiyama's archive, where textiles repaired over a 40-year period are on display. The repairs show the ongoing cycle of wear and tear and repair that wrap around each other. Momiyama's work consists of torn textiles (Jap. Boro) that are repaired with sashiko. Sashiko stands for "small stitches" and is a 1,000-year-old embroidery technique that originated in Japan. Many stitches that are embroidered up and down through several layers of fabric and images geometric patterns are characteristic of sashiko.
Takao Momiyama grew up in a rural area north of Tokyo. His parents grew hemp and silk, a hard work that had existed in the family for many generations. Making what was needed and repairing what was available was a natural part of everyday life. There is a word in Japanese “mottainai” that means something is too good to throw away. Everything can be reused. It is a philosophy that has been with Momi his whole life and something he practices daily. Repairing and being able to pass on a legacy to the future is something Momiyama places great importance on.
“The encounter with each small piece of fabric makes me think backwards, but the creative process makes me think forward,” says Takao Momiyama.
The exhibition is produced by Slöjd och formcenter together with Takao Momiyama.
The Future is Local
Exhibition period: January 31 – August 17, 2025
In the exhibition The Future is Local, furniture manufacturer Verk and clothing company A New Sweden share their manufacturing processes and locally anchored production chains. The exhibition shows what the process of making completely sustainable products looks like - from raw materials to finished product.
Once upon a time, industry in Sweden was strong. Then the world shrank. Customers wanted cheaper prices, entrepreneurs wanted higher profits. Cheaper materials were bought in from abroad. All manufacturing and all machinery were sent abroad. Jobs disappeared, and local expertise disappeared with them. What if it could be different?
What if the products we rely on daily could be made in our city. What if the hands that created the objects belonged to our neighbor?
The Future is Local is the exhibition that explores the question “What if we produced all our objects locally?”
VERK, a sustainable Swedish furniture company whose products are produced in Sweden and are made only with Swedish raw materials – from needle felt to surface treatment, without compromising on either design level or comfort. It is unique in its kind.
A NEW SWEDEN was founded in 2019 and manufactures quality clothing in Sweden from Swedish wool. All garments have a completely transparent production chain from sheep farm to packaging, and all manufacturing takes place as locally as possible. No plastic materials are used so all garments are 100% biodegradable.
The exhibition highlights the actors involved, producers of raw materials wool, leather, glass, wood and steel, as well as craftsmen and manufacturers of the actual products.
The exhibition is produced by VERK and A NEW SWEDEN.
