This year the time has come: we are offering Visible Mending with Anne Neuhauser for the first time as part of the colour.formen.festival in beautiful Pöllau!
SSA: Dear Anne Neuhauser, from 27 to 29 June 2025 you will lead the three-day workshop ‘Textile Memories - Visible Mending’ according to your concept, what makes Visible Mending so interesting for you? When did you discover this art for yourself?
Anne Neuhauser: ‘I've actually been working with textile techniques for as long as I can remember. I learnt to knit from my grandmother when I was four and was always the best at needlework, the only thing that interested me at school back then. About 10 years ago, I discovered the Sashiko and Boro techniques for myself and found a lot of inspiration in Japan. I then developed a sustainability concept from this. In the beginning I embroidered and repaired jeans with Sashiko stitches, and a little later I also used Visible Mending techniques, which are very hip in England and Scandinavia at the moment. This makes you much more flexible and you can repair many different types of fabric and combine the techniques well. Visible mending is interesting in many ways.
It is an ancient craft technique (Japan, worldwide) that I reinterpret and adapt to contemporary times. This allows me to show an attitude: Look, I don't bow to the prevailing consumerism! I treat my clothes with care and appreciation! Because when I embroider and repair something, I no longer throw it away.
This is where the Japanese terms mottainai and wabi sabi come into play - one expresses regret about wasting something whose actual value is not being sufficiently utilised. The other describes a new aesthetic of simplicity and naturalness. Therefore, the repair should remain visible because it contributes to the style of the clothing. Flaws in objects are appreciated and emphasise the philosophy of imperfection, but also individuality. This in turn is a pleasant counter-movement to the perfectionism that prevails today.
SSA: What is the particular challenge here? I ask you this because working with textile techniques is often time-consuming. Or in other words: isn't it tedious to design a piece of clothing by hand?
Anne Neuhauser: ‘Yes, the time required is of course anything but economical. But that's what makes it so attractive. In this day and age, when nobody has time for anything anymore, I see it as a luxury to take so much time for something that is basically is not really necessary. The luxury of working intensively on something that has no particular purpose and then something special comes out of it. That is perhaps exactly what makes handicrafts an art.
There is also something very meditative and relaxing about it. Repetitive work allows our brains to relax very well. This promotes mental well-being. There are also three other important factors for our mental health: Competence (I can do something), autonomy (I do what I like to do) and social inclusion (stimulates conversation, you feel like you're doing something against mass consumption), all three of which promote a sense of self-determination and self-efficacy. As a psychologist, I find this aspect very important.
SSA: Textile art has been back in fashion internationally for some time now and can be extremely impressive, as the Venice Biennale 2024 showed once again. (A Textile Perspective / Zen Stitching/ The Art of Mindful Mending) What do you think is behind this?
Anne Neuhauser: ‘Textile art has a lot of potential and a long tradition, always on the threshold between handicraft and art - not only in Europe. It's a form of expression for the underprivileged. An important point, I think, is also the feminine connotation. In earlier times, it was a medium that was acceptable for women. Today, this is becoming an exciting reinterpretation (Katharina Cibulka: with her ‘Solange...’ project, or Annette Messager, who embroiders and frames the wildest misogynistic phrases). But it is also interesting for men who make textile art to express themselves in a so-called female art form: think of Scott Walker (New York).Textile art can also become very political: We saw this in Venice, but also at Dokumenta 15. On the website of textile artist Dieter Filler, you can read the following quote: ‘Textile art is the desire and pleasure of realising and processing the most diverse materials in such a way that they delight in a new aesthetic.’ ...I think that best describes my approach to textile art.
SSA: As a workshop participant, how can I turn my Visible Mending piece into a work of art?
Anne Neuhauser: ‘The associations, preliminary thoughts, unusual choice of materials and the overall design turn the work into a work of art. In the intensive examination of the material, but also the history of the garment. With every item of clothing, you also carry a part of your own history, and if you wear second-hand clothing, you also carry the history of the previous owner. In contrast to artificial darning, visible mending allows you to personalise the piece, which is thus enhanced and also expresses a lot as a result of your own creativity and work.
SSA: Anne, is there anything that is particularly close to your heart when you think about your workshop in Pöllau?
Anne Neuhauser: ‘The most important thing for me is that I want to convey joy and lightness. When dealing with textiles, you also come across all the very detrimental aspects of fashion - such as environmental pollution and miserable working conditions. Nevertheless, I prefer to approach the matter with joy and humour. Because I believe I can achieve much more with that than with a raised index finger.
‘I can do that too!’ A reaction that some contemporary artists might take as disdain is very welcome to me, participation as a principle of sustainability.... - I would be very pleased if, after the workshop, the participants proudly wore their works, thus showing their attitude and inspiring others to do the same.
The abolition of social narrowness: what is feminine/what is masculine? All people should benefit from the advantages of craftsmanship. Visible Mending is ideal because you don't need many tools and the material is almost a gift.
Designing individual and unique pieces: Everyone should be able to express themselves through the variety of creative possibilities. Of course, you have to learn the basics first, and like any new skill you want to learn, this requires patience. It should be about learning new techniques and then experimenting with them joyfully, cheekily and openly in the future. ‘
Thank you very much, Anne Neuhauser, for the interview! We are already looking forward to the workshop with you!