Stitches Beyond Borders
In 2020, Denmark celebrate the centenary of North Schleswig’s return to Denmark. To mark the occasion, Trapholt wanted to present the reunification in a way that resonates directly with our present-day lives today. Accordingly, the museum commissioned textile artist Iben Høj to create a work of art that considers the historical event in light of present-day issues.
778 people from all over Denmark and northern Germany contributed embroideries embedded with their personal reflections on borders of many kinds: geographical, historical, personal, political etc.
From January to March 2020, Trapholt hosted eight events focusing on embroidery and talks about the reunification. Moreover, local embroidery workshops supervised by Iben Høj were held at ten different locations across the country.
The project reflects on how boundaries and borders can move and shift, both geographically and mentally. For this project, we invited all participants to embroider something which represents their personal understanding of physical or mental boundaries today. Trapholt has imposed no limits on the kind of boundaries that could be addressed, insisting on complete openness and curiosity about what participants would choose to address.
Rooted in embroidery tradition coupled with Iben Høj’s artistic framing, the project can be seen as a present-day artistic commentary that establishes a link between the reunification and current issues today.
