New Exhibition: Clouds, Power and Ornament – Roving Central Asia
On February 25, the exhibition Clouds and Power, co-curated by Prof. Dr. Mi You, opens at the Hong Kong Centre for Heritage, Arts & Textile (CHAT). Together with its partner exhibition Suture: Reimagining Ornament, this exhibition takes textiles and handicrafts as a starting point for an in-depth exploration of Central Asia with its multi-layered political, social and cultural realities.
Age-old textile practices permeate the political economy and serve as a medium for social life. Even in the current era of information technology, textile production is a deeply rooted part of many Central Asian peoples’ daily lives. Contemporary artists from this region also often use this textile culture for inspiration and as creative material to respond to political and social transformation, raising discussions around the preservation of traditions, the circulation of collective memory and how textiles can encourage unity within a community.