To coincide with the opening of the new CUBE education building, Tilburg University presented its educational vision, which is based on the three pillars of knowledge, skills and character. To mark the occasion, the university commissioned artist Sigrid Calon to develop a work showing that the university, besides knowledge, skills and the development of cultural awareness, attaches great importance to ‘weaving character’.
‘Weaving Character' gives a contemporary spin to concepts such as identity, responsibility and interconnectedness. The work consists of around 30 woven 'flags' that are based on elements from the university’s logo. Calon combines these elements in multiple ways, expressing the idea that while character can be moulded, it is unique by nature.
‘Weaving character' is also a metaphor for the university's collaboration with urban organisations and Tilburg’s DNA as a textile city: the textile industry played a prominent role in the city’s history and development. The university’s art committee opted for a work in which interconnectedness is both the technique and subject of the work.
Calon worked closely with the textile experts and yarn specialists in the TextielLab to weave the flags. The material used, like the artist herself, comes from Tilburg: 'Weaving Character' is made with 100% recycled yarns from textile recycling company Wolkat. Calon developed a double cloth weave with expert Marjan van Oeffelt. The aim was to distinguish clearly between the graphic shape and its surroundings. While the graphic element needed to be razor-sharp and precise, the background required a fluid, loose effect, whereby one would reinforce the other. With double cloth weave, the weft threads can be woven in long loops, creating a very supple effect with the fluffy Wolkat yarn. Finding a weave that would preserve the fabric's sturdiness was not an easy task. The back of the sample shows how Van Oeffelt succeeded, in quite a surprising way.
Sigrid Calon is a Dutch visual artist who lives and works in Tilburg, where she studied at the Academy of Fine Arts. Based on a desire to make new connections and look differently at things we take for granted, her work is characterised by a broad curiosity and constant examination of questions of identity. Intuition, rationality and playfulness guide her search for a sense of wonder and inspiration in the things around her. Her questions are often philosophical and lead to research and new discoveries. In Calon's hands, chaos is transformed into harmony and, although mostly visual, a musical kind of beauty.
Kunstwerken op de campus - Sigrid Calon
