Everything is made of fiber

Part of a major tribute to Magdalena Abakanowicz

18 April – 24 August 2025
TextielMuseum, Tilburg

Opening on 18 April, the TextielMuseum in Tilburg is proud to present Magdalena Abakanowicz – Everything is made of fiber. The exhibition is part of a major tribute to the renowned Polish artist, organised in collaboration with Het Noordbrabants Museum and the Provinciehuis Noord-Brabant. Under the overarching title Great, greater, greatest, these three institutions offer a comprehensive look at the extraordinary life and work of this pioneering installation artist. Magdalena Abakanowicz (1930–2017) played a crucial role in redefining textiles, transforming them from an applied craft into a recognised form of autonomous art. Her work also explored universal, socially relevant themes, and her groundbreaking installations remain highly influential today. She continues to inspire contemporary artists, including those working in the TextielLab, the professional workshop of the TextielMuseum.

This press release focuses on the TextielMuseum’s exhibition, which highlights Abakanowicz's impact on the evolution of textiles as an independent art form along with her creative process. Meanwhile, the exhibition at Het Noordbrabants Museum explores the universal, contemporary themes in her work and presents it in dialogue with pieces by other artists.

Magdalena Abakanowicz maakte in de jaren zestig en zeventig van de vorige eeuw furore, maar raakte daarna bij het grote publiek in de vergetelheid. “Daar willen we verandering in brengen in deze tijd waarin textiel wordt herontdekt als uniek artistiek medium”, vertelt Nathanja van Dijk, Hoofd Museumzaken van het TextielMuseum. “Bovendien werpt het werk, het denken en de thematiek van Abakanowicz nieuw licht op urgente maatschappelijke vragen. Wij kunnen ook vandaag de dag iets van haar leren. Omdat haar werk zo omvangrijk en invloedrijk is, hebben drie instellingen de krachten gebundeld en nodigen we gezamenlijk bezoekers uit het complete verhaal te ontdekken. Dat haar grootste en meest indrukwekkende kunstwerk speciaal is gecreëerd voor het Brabantse provinciehuis is heel bijzonder. Dit werk vormt een fantastische schakel tussen de tentoonstellingen in ons museum en in Het Noordbrabants Museum.”

‘I see fiber as the basic element constructing the organic world on our planet, as the greatest mystery of our environment. It is from fiber that all living organisms are built. The tissues of plants, leaves and ourselves. Our nerves, our genetic code, the canals of our veins, our muscles. We are all fibrous structures.’ – Magdalena Abakanowicz

Abakanowicz rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s but later faded from public attention. “We want to change that, especially at a time when textiles are being rediscovered as a unique artistic medium,” says Nathanja van Dijk, Head of Museum Affairs at the TextielMuseum. “Moreover, her work, ideas and themes offer new perspectives on pressing social issues. We can still learn from her today. Due to the extent and influence of her work, three institutions have joined forces to present the complete story. It is especially significant that her largest and most impressive work was created specifically for the Brabant provincial government building – serving as a fantastic link between our exhibitions.”

“I see fiber as the basic element constructing the organic world on our planet, as the greatest mystery of our environment. It is from fiber that all living organisms are built. The tissues of plants, leaves and ourselves. Our nerves, our genetic code, the canals of our veins, our muscles. We are all fibrous structures.” – Magdalena Abakanowicz

Revolutionary
Abakanowicz reached the height of her fame in the years from 1967 when she began making enormous textile sculptures. These works were not only impressive because of their scale but also because of their intimacy and materiality. In fact, they were so innovative that there were no existing terms to describe them. As a result, they became known as Abakans, after their maker. Breaking away from traditional tapestry, Abakanowicz approached her work like a sculptor, creating three-dimensional forms that defied categorisation. At the time, the art world debated whether her work still qualified as applied art. Today, the autonomy and artistic significance of her sculptures are undisputed.

The first room of the exhibition – organised in collaboration with The Marta Magdalena Abakanowicz-Kosmowska and Jan Kosmowski Foundation in Warsaw – immediately immerses visitors in an installation of Abakans. The sculptures, made from natural materials such as sisal, horsehair and unspun wool, hang heavily from the ceiling or rest on the floor. They evoke the textures of skin, human tissue and organs such as the lungs, heart or genitals. The organic forms seem to define the space while also providing protection and a sense of refuge. Nature played a crucial role in Abakanowicz’s work. Poland, her homeland, remained a constant source of inspiration, and her use of pure, natural materials was a conscious artistic choice.

Red Abakan III, Magdalena Abakanowicz, 1970-1971. Photo: Arnaud Conne

Figurative forms
In the early 1970s, Abakanowicz began experimenting with casting human forms. She draped coarse fabrics in moulds and stiffened them until they could support themselves. By draping the fabric differently, she created multiple versions of the forms, each with a unique skin. She incorporated these into her sculptures and installations.

One of her most striking installations, Backs (1976-1980), is featured in the TextielMuseum exhibition. This large series of human figures – seated, viewed from behind, hunched over, headless, handless, empty, mutilated and depersonalised – can be arranged in various compositions. Although the figures are the same, each sculpture’s unique skin gives it its own identity. Backs speaks to human suffering and the indelible trauma of war, reflecting the incomprehensible scale of human impact while emphasising the individuality of each affected person. It is a universal and, sadly, timeless theme.

Abakanowicz’s working method
For this exhibition, the TextielMuseum collaborated with guest curator Marta Kowalewska, chair of the advisory board of The Marta Magdalena Abakanowicz-Kosmowska and Jan Kosmowski Foundation and an expert on Abakanowicz's oeuvre. Archive materials and insights from Abakanowicz's former workshop assistants were also invaluable in shaping the exhibition, says Nathanja van Dijk. “Abakanowicz had clear ideas about how her work should be shown. She saw exhibitions as in-situ installations, where works interacted with both the space and each other. This approach was revolutionary in the 1960s and paved the way for contemporary installation art. With the support of our Polish partners, we have faithfully replicated her working methods in the TextielMuseum. A video accompanying the exhibition provides additional insights into these methods. It features footage we filmed in her home, studio and workshop along with previously unseen archive images.”

Focus on the creative process
The exhibition also includes works by Dutch artists such as Herman Scholten (1932-2013), Desiree Scholten van de Rivière (1920-1987), Krijn Giezen (1939-2011) and Harrie Boom (1945-1995). These pieces, drawn from the TextielMuseum’s collection, highlight Abakanowicz’s influence on other artists, many of whom encountered her work at events like the Biennales de la Tapisserie in Lausanne.

The exhibition pays special attention to the creative process. Despite the monumental scale of her Abakans, Abakanowicz made them in a small ninth-floor studio in Warsaw. With the help of her assistant, Stefania Zgudka, she used simple looms to produce the various components, sometimes seeing the full pieces assembled only when they were exhibited. The original moulds for Backs and the looms from her Warsaw studio – which has been preserved since her death in 2017 by the Marta Magdalena Abakanowicz-Kosmowska and Jan Kosmowski Foundation – are on loan to the TextielMuseum for the exhibition’s duration.

Throughout the exhibition, various activities, including lectures and a symposium, will be organised. More details can be found at grootsinbrabant.nl.

Acknowledgements

 

The joint programme of exhibitions and activities is generously supported by the Province of Noord-Brabant, the Municipality of 's-Hertogenbosch, the Municipality of Tilburg, the VriendenLoterij, Canpack, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland, The Marta Magdalena Abakanowicz-Kosmowska and Jan Kosmowski Foundation, the Central Museum of Textiles, Lodz, the Abakanowicz Arts and Culture Charitable Foundation, the Cultuurfonds/Barbas-van der Klauw Fonds, the Mondriaan Fonds and the Blockbusterfonds.