31 October 2021

Vienna Insights: Applied arts projects for repairing and sharing clothes 'Mend & Swap' part of the upcoming Vienna Art Week (12 -19 Nov) reflecting upon 'Losing Control' in times of a pandemic and climate crisis

The programme of the upcoming Vienna Art Week from 12 until 19 November ranges from exhibitions of works by international artists such as Bruce Nauman, Cindy Sherman, Juergen Teller, Brigitte Kowanz, gelitin, Erwin Wurm,... to community art projects. Fashion.at looked today through the online programme and found an event series of two initiatives dedicated to the consumption of clothing and the re-creation of fashion.

The 'Mend' and 'Swap' projects were developed by the artist collective 'ÖL' (the acronyme is related to public, people and the lust for life). ÖL believes in the power of art to support social change. Alternative consumption as an exit-strategy from the loss of control can be practised by visitors at the 'Clothes Swap' (max. 3 pieces per person) which happens from 16 until 19 November every day at the headquarters of the collective, the 'OpenCave' (opencave.at) at Kaisermühlenstraße 14 in the 22nd district. Details are published at viennaartweek.at/en/program/kleidertausch/.

The other artistic event series, which challenges rather the creativity of visitors respectively participants, is the 'Mend' initiative for the re-creation of damaged items from the wardrobe by not only repairing, but upgrading them through the 'Visible Mending' techniques by the slow fashion applied arts duo RESI (www.resislowfashion.at). Clothing stands here as a metaphor for the system. "Let's mend the system together" is procalimed at viennaartweek.at/en/program/gemendet/. It's announced that the series of mending workshops will run until the end of this year.

On the last day of Vienna Art Week on 19 November, the combined Swap & Mend day invites visitors to share their clothes and/or view or participate in the artistic repair workshop (https://www.viennaartweek.at/en/program/tauschmend/).

Image: 'Vienna Art Week 2021' poster with the writing of this year's theme 'Losing Control'.