Hana Agolli

Date of Award

2026

Document Type

MA Project - Restricted Access (SIA Only)

Project Type

MA Project - Curatorial Proposal

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Art Business

First Advisor

Noah Kupferman

Second Advisor

Brendan Burns

Abstract

As the global temperature rises, so do anxieties surrounding climate change. In recent years we have seen more and more protests against corporations and calls to action, even in museum spaces, making this an increasingly relevant topic, not only in our culture, but also in art spaces. Woven Climates: Textile Art as Resistance and Ecological Practice will feature contemporary female artists that utilize textile and fiber art as a form of ecological practice and resistance through the lens of ecofeminism. These artists’ creative practice is informed by themes of cultural preservation, environmental awareness, and the time consuming process of this traditional craft. By highlighting an exhibition where the traditionally feminine medium of textile and fiber art is paired with themes of ecological consciousness, this provides an immersive understanding of the ecofeminist cultural context for audiences. Ecofeminism emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, along the time that other social justice and civil rights movements were occurring in the United States. The ecofeminist movement is based on the theory that environmental degradation coincides with the oppression of women, and these issues are systematically fueling each other, taking on an intersectional understanding. The great imbalance of the global wealth distribution system, unsafe drinking water, excessive pollution from countries like the United States, and overall consumption of our planet’s resources was reason enough for this movement to come about at the time.  There are various theories as to how these environmental problems came to be, such as the scientific revolution, the rise of patriarchal religions, colonization and capitalism, but the overarching theme is that there is a separation from the natural world and the human world. This exhibition aims to bridge that gap by highlighting anthropological practices that connect humanity to nature. Practices that require the maker to interact with natural resources such as fibers, and the time consuming methodology that was used prior to the environmental deterioration, acknowledge the intersectionality between nature and people.  The use of textiles and fibers can be dated back to prehistoric roots, with communities using textiles and fibers as a functional means, however the rise of fibers and textiles used as an artistic medium came about post World War II, and reached a saturation in the 1960s and 1970s, around the same time that ecofeminism was emerging. In the art world historically, textiles as a medium have long been undervalued because of its association with craft and femininity. By featuring artists that utilize this medium in a contemporary manner, the exhibition aims to be culturally relevant to current interpretations of ecofeminism through fiber and textiles. It would be remiss to not acknowledge that a majority of environmental deterioration is seen affecting the global south, therefore this exhibition will be featuring artists from those regions in order to adequately address the consequences of climate change. Additionally, by featuring a range of international artists from a diverse selection of backgrounds, this exhibition functions to demonstrate to audiences not only the different perspectives in ecofeminism but also the similarities across the world.

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