Repair-a-thon at the Designmuseo goes Vaatevallankumous event (2017), Photo: Jernej Čuček Gerbec
It is not at first glance obvious how repairing can be acknowledged as an art form itself, as it used to be a widespread if not mundane, and necessary household practice, so common to be nearly invisible.
Historically the value of clothing has decreased proportionally with its decrease in monetary value. A new assessment of the expense of our clothing in a world of mass-produced garments, where you can find everything, but at the same time nothing, is of the utmost importance. The project envisions a new way of action where the buyer/consumer also becomes an active user, and the object in relation becomes an experience or the carrier thereof. The value here is not monetary anymore, and it would be simple to assume that in a world of cheaply available items monetary value matters anymore, but it becomes relational to the experience, emotional.
The [Boro] textiles encourage thoughtful assessment as well as aesthetic appreciation of the act of mending, the menders, and the mended objects…, resulted in a massive accumulation of time and memory of people who used the repaired and recycled objects.
(Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada, “Boro Mottanai," Vestoj Journal, Issue 5 (2014): 83-85.)
Repair-a-thon video for Fashion Symposium at Musis (2018). Videography and editing: Jernej Čuček Gerbec
This project has been presented at:
The project was so far presented through the Collective Intelligence working group at the Dimora OZ Gallery (Palermo, 2017), at the Mediterranean Wefts Museum (Gibellina, 2018) and at the Myymälä2 Gallery (Helsinki, 2018).
It has been further presented at the 'Alternative Modes of Fashion' event (Aalto Learning Centre, Espoo, 2017), the 'Designmuseo goes Vaatevallankumous' (Design Museo, Helsinki, 2017), the 'Local and Decentralised' Pixelache Festival (Helsinki, 2017), the 'Art, Design and Repair' lecture series (Aalto University, Helsinki, 2018), as the 'Red Thread' performance with Claudia di Gangi and Giuseppe Lomeo (Interreg MED, Rome, 2018), at the 'Fashion Colloquium' (Arnhem, 2018), the Shelter Festival (Helsinki 2019), the Design Biennale BIO|26 (Ljubljana, 2020), and at the House of the European Union (Ljubljana, 2022).
Repair-a-thon at Vestino (2018), Ph: Angela Maria Benivegna
Repair-a-thon at Vestino (2018), Ph: Angela Maria Benivegna
Repair-a-thon at Vestino (2018), Ph: Angela Maria Benivegna
Repair-a-thon at Vestino (2018), Ph: Angela Maria Benivegna
On top of the many exhibitions, performances, and event presentations, the project has been mentioned in at least three scholarly articles, namely:
Press:
The project has been also featured in announcements and articles, most notably during this 2020 iteration at the Ljubljana Biennale of Design - BIOI26. The work was featured on the platform manjjevec.si with an article by Barbara Zorko, a feature in the critical journal Koridor - križišča umetnosti with an art critique by Jernej Čuček Gerbec, a printed article in the national newspaper Dnevnik by Neža Mrevlje, in the national online outlet RTV SLO with an article by Dolores Subotić, and in the national newspaper Slovenske novice with an article by Alenka Kociper (printed version of the 4.2.2020).
The work was featured under the 100 Most Influential Artworks of the Social Art Award 2021 – New Greening.
Gallery View
Repair-a-thon at the Designmuseo goes Vaatevallankumous event (2017), Photo: Jernej Čuček Gerbec
