a publik is pleased to announce "trail mix", a solo exhibition of new works by stefanie salzmann.
stefanie salzmann is interested in the relationship between agriculture and textiles. the works in the exhibition guide your eyes through a textured landscape, but also speak about colour as a material in itself. a material, that switches bodies. stefanie salzmann studies ancient dye recipes, history, and myths and is enchanted by the alchemic process of a colourant leaving one body and going over to another. she experiments with natural dyes and transforms the raw wool of her parents' sheep into sculptural and wall-based works.
a key process in this transformation is felting. felting is one of the simplest and oldest ways to create textiles and a physical process requiring bodily strength to entangle loose fibres into a steady felt. gestures, like braiding and assembling the wool, remain visible in the resulting textiles, capturing a connection between the work and the maker's body.
stefanie salzmann lives and works in brussels and ried-brig. she worked as a designer for well-known fashion houses in paris and switzerland until questions about overproduction and fast-paced cycles in the fashion industry and its impact on the environment led her to rethink her relationship with textiles and focus on her artistic practice. she was awarded the art pro grand by the canton of valais, completed a residency in mexico by atelier mondial, and was nominated for the swiss design award. her work has been shown in numerous places in and outside of switzerland, with a special focus on art in public spaces.