Souffleur, what is the meaning of 'Warp and weft?

Eveline De Wilde, Collection Manager for Contemporary Art: “’Schering en inslag’ [lit. warp and weft] is a phrase still used today. It refers to unpleasant things that happen over and over again - for example, you could use it about a dangerous junction where accidents are a daily occurrence. The expression goes back to the technique of weaving. On a loom, threads are first stretched lengthwise: this is called the warp. At right angles to it, a shuttle coil moves back and forth, bringing in the cross wires: the weft. That alternation of warp and weft creates the woven fabric - otherwise you would just have loose threads."

"As long as man makes textiles, he works with warp and weft. Even the clothes you buy at H&M are still made with that technique, even though it is now done by machine. That is why it is also a relevant concept in art: most of the textile art has been created this way."

M’s collection counts about 1,200 textile objects. Tapestries, garments as well as many religious objects. In 'The Ten', our new collection presentation, we for example show a 16th-century antependium, a cloth hung over the front of the altar. A beautiful and interesting piece, because you can recognise so many different herbs on it. In the collection presentation 'Bewogen' (Moved) you can see the splendidly decorated costumes with which statues of Mary were dressed during processions through the city. This also shows that textile art is much more than purely decorative - there is often a deep cultural meaning attached to it."

"But quite a few contemporary artists also work with textiles. In the collection presentation 'The Constant Glitch', for example, you can see the work of the same name by Christiane Blattmann, a sculpture in which she has incorporated jute."

"The Constant Glitch" also features three textile works by Alexis Gautier, a Franco-Belgian artist whose solo exhibition also begins at M on September 17. The City of Leuven purchased those works in 2020 for the M Collection - the city wanted to support artists during the difficult Covid year. It concerns two smaller works of silk with embroidery, and one larger carpet of almost pure wool. Gautier drew the designs and, based on them, sent instructions to workshops in India and Nepal, where they would weave the pieces. Interestingly, these were open-ended instructions that allowed the weavers a great deal of freedom. Gautier also cites them by name as co-authors of the work. The weavers used local wool and silk, and they worked by hand - this artisanal aspect appeals strongly to Gautier – and of course they used that millennia-old weaving technique: warp and weft."