Fifty textile and quilt artworks from fifteen nations: from more than 150 submissions, an international jury selected works that impressively demonstrate that creativity, artistic inspiration and socially critical statements are by no means reserved for painting, sculpture, graphic art or photography alone. Politically motivated works reflect themes such as “Black Lives Matter” and the situation of women in Afghanistan. The global pandemic and its many-layered consequences for both the individual and society also naturally occupy a broad place in the artists’ work. Other pieces emphasise the aesthetic dimension and engage with design questions and with the interplay of colour, form and materials. The “8th European Quilt Triennale” highlights both the diversity and the artistic ambition of contemporary art quilting. Seven Swiss artists — Edith Bieri-Hanselmann, Elsbeth Egger, Nesa Gschwend, Heidi König, Beatrice Lanter, Rita Merten and Michèle Samter — represent the country’s active quilt scene. The Doris Winter Memorial Prize, which honours innovation in materials, technique and design, also went to Switzerland once again this year: it was awarded jointly to Heidi König and Rita Merten.
