Z33

All The Small Things

With Yufei Gao, Julie Merlino, Eszter Nagy

Three young international designers, Yufei Gao, Julie Merlino and Eszter Nagy, were inspired by the rich history of Kortrijk. Textiles are therefore the common thread in their work, where they explore the boundaries between craftsmanship, tradition and new technologies.

Unlimited

Kortrijk is remembered for two things: as a textile city since the Middle Ages and as a frontier. Since the 1820 Treaty of Courtrai, 300 stone border posts have marked the division with France. In 2021, Belgium got a little bigger when a farmer moved that border by 2.29 metres.

A fascinating history that Yufei Gao tackles in her video projection entitled A border is not a boundary. She built a border post in linen and filmed it while wandering along the French-Belgian border. In doing so, she commemorates how people, industry and migration are intertwined.

When the frequency changes

Light reacts differently to materials: it reflects, deflects or creates a sheen. Like when you look at Belgian damask, a traditional weaving technique for which Kortrijk was known in the 16th century. The fabric’s complex structure and the designs it incorporates provide an interesting viewing experience.

This dynamic fascinated Julie Merlino. With A change in frequency, she explores fabrics that shift dynamically based on the viewer’s perception and position. The research is based on phenomena such as the moiré movement effect and makes microstructures visible.

Pixels and local icons

A binary logic connects the worlds of computers and weaving. In computers, it determines whether a pixel is drawn or not; in weaving, the same binary reasoning takes place when the warp thread is raised or lowered.

Eszter Nagy interweaves craftsmanship with the digital world. Starting with a 1987 jacquard woven napkin designed by Marc Van Hoe and executed by weaving company Verilin, Eszter transforms local icons into digital copies. She realizes a dialogue between pixels and weaves in her installation Edge or No Edge , where a tapestry is placed next to LED screens.

Room for upcoming talent

Every year, Z33 gives a stage to young talent. All the Small Things showcases the results of Designers in Residence Kortrijk of Designregion Kortrijk 2024. Every year, a jury selects three recently graduated designers from different creative disciplines. They are given three months to develop a concept, collaborating with citizens, entrepreneurs, education and society. At Z33, they show the result of their creative research.

In collaboration with Designregio Kortrijk

This work was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union and implemented by the Goethe-Institut. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.

Curator: Tim Roerig