Casting a Long Line

Fibre art goes far beyond traditional textiles in this major international exhibition at Jinji Lake Art Museum.

Casting a Long Line brings together 54 artists from China, France, Germany, Sweden and South Korea, with more than 50 groups of works exploring how fibres and textile techniques can be transformed into contemporary art.

The exhibition ranges from traditional techniques including kesi silk tapestry, embroidery, weaving and dyeing to large-scale installations, fashion art and mixed-media works. Materials include silk, wool, feathers, paper, metal wire, nylon, Oxford cloth and even repurposed everyday objects.

From Craft to Contemporary Art
Rather than treating fibre simply as a material for making textiles, the exhibition explores its potential as an artistic language.

The exhibition is divided into three sections:

Introducing the Thread · 引线
Traditional techniques such as weaving and embroidery are reinterpreted through contemporary art.

Hiding the Thread · 藏线
Soft materials are used to explore subjects including nature, ecology, society and identity.

Releasing the Thread · 放线
Artists deliberately expose loose threads, unfinished edges and fragmented materials, turning elements traditionally considered imperfections into part of the artwork itself.

Five Countries, Different Perspectives
Artists from five countries approach fibre through their own cultural backgrounds and experiences.
Works move between traditional craftsmanship and experimental installations, with materials ranging from the delicacy of silk and feathers to newspaper, metal wire, silver foil and synthetic fibres.
Among the featured works are Yu Xiang 《余香》, created using discarded paper cups, felt and acrylic; Whispers of an Autumn Night 《秋夜细语》, which incorporates natural materials including pomegranate peel and plants; and works made from newspaper, metal wire and silk thread.

Made for Suzhou
There's also a strong local connection.

Artist Zhang Aili has created a site-specific work inspired by Suzhou, using paper, fabric and cotton thread to bring together the character of the city's classical gardens with the modern urban landscape of Suzhou Industrial Park.

The wider exhibition also plays naturally into Suzhou's long history as a centre of silk and textile culture, placing traditional techniques alongside international contemporary art.