Time-Bending Tapestries Reimagine Historical Events

As a diligent student of archival conversations and political debate, artist Goshka Macuga constructs a new collection of tapestries that reimagine pivotal meetings between history’s biggest power players. The series, titled Goshka Macuga: Time as Fabric, is the first New York appearance by the London artist, and runs at the New Museum through June 26.

Developed and conceived over five years, Time as Fabric is executed in the form of vast and visually-enthralling textiles. Macuga is described as having “an interest in the evolving relationships among artists, institutions, politics, and communities” in the exhibition’s press release. Her huge, monochromatic works form a literal backdrop to a foreground of cut-out busts—some politicians, some cultural stalwarts—leaning against wooden chairs and easels. The exhibit's overall effect is not unlike attending a live assembly or demonstration, but with a high-caliber attendee list that overlaps cultural eras.

The results harness the tapestry form in order to “transform architectural spaces and surround viewers—making [them] both spectators of and participants in the actions […] and enveloping [them] in narratives that expand and collapse the notion of time.” Check out views from Time as Fabric below:

Goshka Macuga: Time as Fabric is on view through June 26, 2016 at the New Museum. Click here to learn more.

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