On Saturday we visit
ed Modern Art Oxford to see the new exhibition of Hannah Ryggen’s tapestries. Afterwards we had the opportunity to try some weaving ourselves in an interactive space which gave us an insight into the time and skill required for the art form.’ Asita
We were all struck by Hannah Ryggen’s powerful and stunning tapestries. We equally loved the huge scale cartoon-style collaborative work by Aleksandra Mir. At the end, everyone really enjoyed getting stuck into the gallery’s interactive weaving activities which were engaging visitors of all ages. Thanks very much to Sara Lowes, Curator, Creative Learning at Modern Art Oxford, MAO, for a fantastic experience.
Here are some of our responses to the visit…
Sophie: ‘I found the tapestry pieces incredibly powerful and moving- especially those depicting the rise of Nazism and their oppression of different societies.’
Hannah: ‘The exhibition was amazing- the interactive part gave gave me a better understanding of Ryggen’s methods.’
Ellen: ‘I absolutely loved the interactive weaving room which you can go to after the exhibition. It allows you to really appreciate just how skillful and difficult Ryggen’s work is- and it’s really fun!’
Lewis: ‘This exhibition has been brilliant in showing the creative process Hannah Ryggen went through for her tapestry work. The inclusion of workshops alongside it was a very nice touch so you can leave your own taste of what weaving is like.’
Andrei: ‘I really liked the way in which the exhibition introduces the artist to the visitors and contextualizes her art in the events of their own life.’
Maggie: ‘ As an enthusiast of art from fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries, I was amazed that these tapestries were to my liking. The amount of detail is exquisite and clearly shows hard work and passion. It is definitely worth having a look, even if you don’t usually enjoy modern art like me.’
Phoebe: ‘It was very interesting to see the contrast between Ryggen and Aleksandra Mir’s work and the different techniques used by the artists and the messages they were trying to get across.’