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The event will focus on art residencies and programs with artists/weavers Olivia Géraud, Kristi Komel, Dominika Gacko and Julia Piekarska (Rest Studio). The artists will share their experiences from various residencies and residency programs they have participated in – what these collaborations brought them and why they chose to take part.
Olivia Géraud, Dominika Gacko, and Julia Piekarska will also talk about their experiences as artists in residence at Layer House.
The event is free of charge and will be held in English. Registration is not required.
You are welcome to join!
The event will be followed by the opening of contemporary weaving exhibition New Tissue -The Rhythm of Interweaving.
Olivia Géraud is a French textile and visual artist working between Paris and Le Havre on the Normandy coast. Trained at the renowned French tapestry workshop Manufacture des Gobelins, she primarily identifies as a high-warp tapestry weaver. Her artistic practice draws on various media, including embroidery, etching, and drawing. She is the international winner of the ETA Award, presented at the BIEN Textile Art Biennial 2025.
Kristi Komel is a Slovenian textile designer who incorporates local stories and a sustainable approach into her work. She is inspired by exploring new materials, possibilities of finishing, as well as reviving and reinterpreting techniques from the past. In her process, she investigates the fusion between tradition and contemporary approaches, focusing on handcraft and the origin of materials. During a study exchange, she returned to weaving, which has since become one of the central techniques in her practice. Through an experimental approach, she develops textile structures that emphasize tactility and a slower design. She exhibits her work both locally and internationally.
Dominika Gacka and Julia Piekarska are founders of Rest Studio from Poland. They are graduates of the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź. Their practice focuses primarily on an experimental approach to traditional weaving techniques. The designers create handmade materials and objects with rich, haptic structures using natural raw materials, allowing themselves space for free experimentation with their properties. All works are produced in small series, mainly on shaft looms.
The duo seeks solutions for reusing textile waste through their project Restki, which focuses on processing leftover materials from weaving and yarn production. Their work has been presented at numerous exhibitions in Poland and abroad, including Nów w Pełni (organized by the Nów. New Craft Association), Glue Amsterdam, Safe Space (BWA Wrocław), and the Łódź Design Festival. Since 2022, Rest has been part of the Homo Faber Guide and the craft collective Nów. New Craft.
The event is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture of Slovenia. It is part of the BIEN 2026 programme.
Photo: Adam Rutkowski
Artwork by Olivia Géraud
