New exhibition at Flowerfield Arts Centre showcases Disruptive Women from across the world
Thu, February 16, 2023
Flowerfield Arts Centre is delighted to partner with Conflict Textiles and Fundació Ateneu Sant Roc to host their second co-curated exhibition Mujeres Disruptivas / Disruptive Women.
The free exhibition draws together many threads of connection and marks the 15th anniversary of Conflict Textiles’ first showcase in 2008 (The Politics of Chilean Arpilleras).
The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Councillor Ivor Wallace, who attended the recent opening event, said: “As we look ahead to International Women’s Day, it is very fitting that this exhibition is now open at Flowerfield Arts Centre.
“The arpilleras on display are embroidered pieces of fabric, mounted on hessian that are connected by the theme of women’s resistance. It’s an important and thought provoking collection so please call in to the Arts Centre to view and enjoy them for yourself.”
All of the pieces will introduce the viewer to disruptive women worldwide: women who have pushed the boundaries of societal expectations of women; women who have broken the mould; women who have challenged and denounced violence and human rights abuses; women who have supported each other in their demands for justice and fairness. Above all, this exhibition encourages us to consider our pre-conceived ideas of disruption.
The complete exhibition will be based across three venues and for a greater sense of appreciation you are encouraged to visit them all. While Flowerfield Arts Centre provides the focal point and will feature the largest display, there will also be a number of pieces on show at the Magee Campus Library of Ulster University and within The Troubles and Beyond exhibition at Ulster Museum in Belfast.
More information about the exhibition can be found at www.flowerfield.org.
Admission to the exhibition is free of charge and it will be located in the Upper Gallery at Flowerfield Arts Centre until 5th August.
An arpillera is a brightly coloured patchwork picture made predominantly by groups of women (also known as arpilleristas).
Arpillera means burlap in Spain, also known as hessian fabric.
This new exhibition builds on over ten years of collaboration by Conflict Textile with Fundació Ateneu Sant Roc, Catalonia, which has progressed from exhibiting each other’s textiles to co-curated exhibitions such as Children’s Rights, Derechosdel Niño, Dretsdels Infants (2020-21).
Conflict Textiles is home to a large collection of international textiles, exhibitions and associated events, all of which focus on elements of conflict and human rights abuses. Conflict Textiles is an ‘Associated Site’ of CAIN (Conflict Archive on the INternet) at Ulster University, Northern Ireland. The collection is mainly comprised of arpilleras, quilts and wall hangings. Making visible the struggle for the disappeared remains at the very core of the collection.
The Fundació Ateneu Sant Roc is a social centre in the neighbourhood of Sant Roc de Badalona (Barcelonès). It works to promote varies educational, social and cultural projects aimed at children, young people and adults, with special focus vulnerable groups or those at risk of social exclusion. The Centre promotes activities related to culture, sport, health, education, pacifism, and the environment.
