“To weave dreams” is the the theme of this edition of Miniartextil, international exhibition of fiber art, that is taking place in Como from the 1^st of October to the 20^th of November 2016. The artists, coming from all over the world, haver been asked to make a dream come true artistically.
“Seeing that art is a mirror of the contemporary world, and an artist’s view of it, the dream has been interpreted by some artists in a positive way, by others in a negative way. Many have interpreted the theme thinking about nature and the environment, others about travelling and migration”, explains Paola Re, coordinator of Miniartextil.

Coming from an idea of Nazzarena Bortolaso and Mimmo Totaro, and organised by the cultural association Arte&Arte , Miniartextil is a travelling exhibiition: in 2017 “To weave dreams” will be in Montrouge (Paris), Caudry (France) and Venice. This year two exhibition venues have been chosen: the ex church of San Francesco in Como and Villa Bernasconi in Cernobbio, near Como.
Artists from 22 countries have produced 54 small works, called minitessili (20x20x20 cm), that will be exhibited in San Francesco and will be selected by a jury. Huge installations will also be displayed in the church.

Numen/For Use is an artistic group made up of 3 architects and designers, Sven Jonke, Christoph Katzler and Nikola Radeljković, who will create inside the church of San Francesco an installation made of 25 kilometres of masking tape, called Tape. It is a work to be seen, but also touched and in which you can enter, exploring it from both inside and out. “Numen/For Use, who have used the weaving technique in their installation, work all over the world, creating sculptures which people can enter.

Dream is an experience also in Janet Echelman’s work.
Janet Echelman is a world famous American artist, who will exhibit her installation on the main altar of the San Francesco church. Her work is a big suspended net in dialogue with a rug on the floor, “an evocative environment where you can let yourself go emotionally, and free your thoughts and dreams”, says Paola Re.

In the lateral chapels of the church of San Francesco the works of Italian and international artists are exhibited: Marialuisa Sponga, Simona Muzzeddu, Carmen Colibazzi, Raffaele Penna, Nao Kimura, Inga Liksaite, Marya Kazoum, Arturas Morozovas, Cecile Dachary, Sonya Clark.

Crystal Wagner is an American artist who has exhibited in the biggest American cities and is represented by the Hashimoto Contemporary in San Francisco. "Wagner’s interest in combining 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional forms, alternative use of materials, and hybrid approaches to printmaking, and massive site-specific installations, have led to her artwork being exhibited extensively in the U.S and abroad".
The artist will produce a big installation at the entrance of Villa Bernasconi in Cernobbio, near Como.

At the opening the artist Thomas De Falco will welcome the public in the church of San Francesco and in the nearby San Pietro in Atrio with a performance, a textile installation where he will coordinate actors tied together with white and red wrapping.

Cover photo: Janet Echelman. ©Smithsonian Institute