Textile art exhibited in Lausanne

"Two spaces" by Hannah Jung. Coll. de l'Association Pierre Pauli

An exhibition in Lausanne has brought together two important collections of contemporary textile art to celebrate the revival of an art form, which until the second half of the 20th century had suffered many years of neglect.

Tapestry-making made a comeback in the early 1960s thanks largely to its promotion by one of the collectors, Pierre Pauli, who died in 1970. His collection was recently merged with another – which also includes older tapestries – begun by Mary Toms, and examples from both are on show in the Espace Arlaud until August 26.

Among them is a work of textile art by Hannah Jung entitled “Two spaces”, which takes the form of a woollen bed.

Lausanne is an appropriate venue for such an exhibition, having hosted an international biennial of tapestry between 1962 and 1995 and as the headquarters of the Mary Toms-Pierre Pauli Foundation.

Thanks to the biennial, which was held in the fine arts museum, the city is regarded as a leading centre for textile art.

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