New Tissue - The Rhythm of Interweaving

exhibition announcement

Olivia Géraud (FR), Kristi Komel (SI), Dominika Gacka and Julia Piekarska (PL)
May 4, 2026
to June 13, 2026
Layerjeva hiša, Kranj
Contemporary weavers exhibition from France, Slovenia, and Poland

Exhibition opening, Monday, 4. 5. 2026 at 19:00

Four young artists, coming from different geographical and educational contexts, approach weaving as an open field of research – a space where tradition is not repeated, but continuously renegotiated. Drawing on the legacy of artists such as Anni Albers, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Jagoda Buić, and Olga de Amaral, their works look both backwards and forwards, shaping new textile languages.

Through an intuitive engagement with material, experimentation with unconventional fibers, and the expansion of textile from surface into space, they develop contemporary approaches that balance knowledge, memory, and freedom. In this process, weaving becomes a way of thinking – slow, tactile, and deeply connected to the time in which it is made.

Exhibition curator: Lovro Ivančić

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 exhibition is part of the BIEN 2026 programme, supported by the Ministry of Culture of Slovenia.

Partner: Carnica Institute

Photo: Rest Studio archive