For a new work for the TextielMuseum collection, artist Bart Hess explored the TextielLab’s more specialist techniques such as tufting and passementerie. In collaboration with product developers from the lab, he developed a new type of interactive and reactive yarn, which was incorporated into the final installation.
Soft pink silicone sacks, linked together with hairy cords, twist subtly. Nearby, glossy black amorphous objects hanging in a tangle of dark cords twitch almost imperceptibly. For ‘Stimulus’, Hess created three-dimensional 'skins' that react to sound and activity around them, their movement intensifying when someone approaches. The skin-coloured pink, black and grey cords were braided in the passementerie department and appear almost human, thanks to the hairy black yarn braided into them.
Bart Hess’ (1984) work is characterised by a surrealistic application of diverse materials and techniques. Manipulating the human body is central to his work. He pushes the boundaries of textiles and extends the reach of his work by filming or photographing the result. His starting point is the beauty and strength of the materials themselves, and his use of unusual futuristic materials and textures blurs the lines between textiles, skin, humans and new species. Hess graduated from the Design Academy Eindhoven but quite quickly moved into autonomous art, establishing himself at the interface of fashion, art and design. He has collaborated with well-known photographers and artists such as Lucy McRae, Lady Gaga, Palais de Tokyo and Nick Knight.
