In many cultures, making, wearing, and preserving textiles is a way to pass down stories. Consider the pangi that people of Surinamese descent wear on festive occasions, where each motif carries its own meaning. Or the christening and wedding dresses that have been carefully preserved for generations in Dutch families. And the batik fabrics from Indonesian and Dutch-Indonesian ancestors, which are given new life as jackets, phone cases, and patchwork quilts.
This evening, guest speakers will discuss the significance of textiles in their own communities. For example, Gouda-based photographer Armando Ello will take you on a journey to his East Timorese roots. Our second guest is Cape Verdean artist Sandim Mendes, who was born and raised in Rotterdam. Drawing on the material and emotional value of textiles, she explores identity and culture. In her textile works and installations, she weaves together forgotten stories and cultural symbols, allowing ancestral power to resonate.
Do you have a cherished piece of clothing or fabric with a story behind it? Bring it along—during the evening, we’ll share these stories with one another. In the final part, we’ll get to work together in a weaving workshop led by Studio Weaving Worlds, where we’ll literally weave our own threads of life together.
This event is organized by the “Shared Past, Shared Future: Gouda and Surrounding Areas” Foundation and the Midden-Holland Regional Archives.
This activity is part of “Interwoven Stories,” an in-depth thematic program centered on the exhibition *Threads of Our Dutch History of Slavery*, on view from Sept. 19 through Oct. 25 at the Chocoladefabriek.
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End: 22:00p.m.
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