Samplers

Opening: Thursday, September 11th, 12 p.m Deeply engaged with textiles, Alejandra Mizrahi seeks to expand the possibilities of weaving in each of her projects, leading her to a remarkably broad and varied exploration of materials and techniques. Each project emerges from in-depth research involving continuous learning, and her methodology incorporates both oral and hands-on transmission, as well as knowledge found in books and manuals. These forms of learning often converge on the same medium. This process resembles samplers, a textile term denoting a series of tests, trials and stitch practices on a single surface akin to a sort of set of samples. The integration of the two series in this exhibition is guided by samplers, a typology that particularly captivates the artist, evoking their experimental, compositional, and material nature. One of these series, Pleasure and Profit, is inspired by the Victorian manual Needlework for Ladies for Pleasure and Profit, created by Dorinda in England in 1886. Widely popular in 19th-century Europe, these manuals not only ensured the circulation of textile techniques but also promoted the economic value of needlework. Alongside the pieces from the first series, selected works from the series Labyrinths further highlight the nature of samplers. These compositions employ the logic of assemblage and the contrast of patterns, yarn, and techniques, turning each piece into a unique encyclopaedia that reveals oscillations, doubts, and temperance.