Ulster Museum opens new exhibit on textiles from communities who have experienced violence

The Ulster Museum has today announced the opening of a new exhibition – Threads of Empowerment: Conflict Textiles’ International Journey.

The exhibition – which will feature in Belfast International Arts Festival - displays 29 textiles from individuals and communities across the world who have experienced violence and conflict, human rights violations, poverty, oppression and environmental issues.

Roberta Bacic, curator of the Conflict Textiles collection, which includes over 400 artworks, explained how valuable textile art can be as a medium of expression and said, “When words are not enough to express lived experiences of violence, stitching and sewing emerge as a language. Since the exhibition The Art of Survival: International and Irish Quilts in Derry~Londonderry in 2008, the Conflict Textiles collection has been exhibited around the world, leaving a lasting impression on people, and crucially, empowering more people to share their stories and experiences.

“Our partnership with National Museums NI reflects our commitment to integrating these important works into broader collections in public spaces to foster deeper empathy and understanding of global issues related to conflict, violence, poverty, and human rights violations.”

The works included in the Threads of Empowerment: Conflict Textiles’ International Journey exhibition span a broad range of locations including Chile, Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Zimbabwe and Germany.

Many are arpilleras - appliquéd picture textiles that are hand sewn from scraps of materials onto a hessian backing – a practice which originated in Chile during the Pinochet regime (1973-1990) when women came together to voice their experiences of the repressive dictatorship.

One such piece is entitled The Day We Will Never Forget and is an arpillera made by a group of girls in Killarney, Zimbabwe in 2012. It shows the destruction of their informal settlement in May 2005 during the government led ’Operation Murambatsvina’ (get rid of the filth) in which an estimated 500,000 people were evicted and displaced in the space of a month.

In 2022, National Museums NI acquired 14 pieces from the Conflict Textiles collection.

Karen Logan, Senior Curator of History at National Museums NI, explains the significance of the exhibition, she said, “The presentation of these international testimonies relating to human rights is incredibly important in helping people to reflect on the world we live in and some of the issues still faced today. This broad collection of textile art will create conversations that inspire change, encourage empathy and promote community spirit.”

Threads of Empowerment: Conflict Textiles’ International Journey will run until April 2025 at the Ulster Museum.

Entry is free and booking is not required, further information can be found here.