CURATORIAL STATEMENT
“ T h e l a s t s t r a w ” s i g n a l s a m o m e n t o f c o l l e c t i v e r u p t u r e . H a s
h u m a n i t y r e a c h e d a c r i t i c a l p o i n t — a l i m i t i n t h e w a y w e t r e a t
t h e E a r t h , t r e a t o n e a n o t h e r , v a l u e l a b o u r , a n d p u l l m a t e r i a l s
a p a r t f r o m t h e i r o r i g i n s , r u s h i n g t h e m t h r o u g h s y s t e m s t h a t
n o l o n g e r s e r v e l i f e ? T h e l a s t s t r a w n a m e s t h i s m o m e n t : t h e
r u p t u r e p o i n t w h e r e s o m e t h i n g h a s t o c h a n g e . C r e a t e d b y
a r t i s t s , d e s i g n e r s , a n d c r a f t s p e o p l e f r o m a r o u n d t h e w o r l d ,
t h e e x h i b i t i o n ’ s f i b r e w o r k s a r e g r o u n d e d i n t h i s t h i n k i n g ,
b u t t h e c o n v e r s a t i o n r i p p l e s o u t w a r d ...
N a t u r a l f i b r e f e e l s l i k e t h e r i g h t p l a c e t o s t a r t .
W o o l a n d m o h a i r , a l o n g s i d e a l p a c a a n d c a s h m e r e , a n d o t h e r
r e s p o n s i b l y s o u r c e d n a t u r a l f i b r e s , a l l c a r r y a k i n d o f q u i e t
i n t e l l i g e n c e . T h e y c o m e f r o m l i f e — f r o m l a n d , c l i m a t e , a n d
c a r e . T h e y h o l d t i m e ; t h e y c a r r y m e m o r i e s , a n d t h e y h a v e
m e a n i n g . T h e y a r e b e h o l d e n t o h a n d s . W h e n y o u w o r k w i t h
t h e s e m a t e r i a l s , y o u c a n ’ t r u s h t h e m — t h e y a s k f o r y o u r
a t t e n t i o n , y o u r p a t i e n c e , a n d y o u r r e s p e c t . I n t h a t w a y , t h e s e
f i b r e s a r e n o l o n g e r t e x t i l e s a l o n e . T h e y b e c o m e a l i n e t h a t
c o n n e c t s a n i m a l s t o h u m a n s , h a n d s t o h e a r t s , a n d t h e p a s t t o
t h e p r e s e n t a n d i n t o t h e f u t u r e ...
F r o m t h e b r e a k i n g p o i n t — t h e l a s t s t r a w — t h e e x h i b i t i o n
m o v e s t o w a r d t h e n e e d l e p o i n t . T h i s i s t h e s m a l l e s t p l a c e
w h e r e c h a n g e a c t u a l l y h a p p e n s . A n e e d l e p i e r c e s , j o i n s ,
r e p a i r s . I t ’ s p r e c i s e . I t ’ s i n t i m a t e . I t d e m a n d s o n e ’ s p r e s e n c e .
T h e n e e d l e p o i n t s p e a k s t o t h e l a b o u r b e h i n d f i b r e — t h e
h e r d i n g , s h e a r i n g , s p i n n i n g , w e a v i n g , k n i t t i n g , f e l t i n g ,
s t i t c h i n g — b u t i t a l s o p o i n t s t o s o m e t h i n g l a r g e r : t h e i d e a
t h a t t r a n s f o r m a t i o n d o e s n ’ t b e g i n w i t h g r a n d g e s t u r e s a n d
u n k e p t p r o m i s e s , b u t w i t h c a r e f u l o n e s . W e h a v e r e a c h e d t h i s
p o i n t . T h e n e e d l e i s n o t s e e n a s a n i n s t r u m e n t o f c r e a t i o n
a n d r e p a i r a l o n e , b u t a s a p o i n t o f c o n v e r g e n c e : w h e r e
n a t u r a l m a t e r i a l s m e e t t h e m a k e r , w h e r e e v e r y c h o i c e
b e c o m e s v i s i b l e ... T h e s i n g u l a r I c o n v e r g e s w i t h t h e c o l l e c t i v e
E y e .
W e a r e i n t e r e s t e d i n w h a t h a p p e n s a t t h e s e f i n e p o i n t s o f
c o n t a c t — w h e r e o u r c h o s e n m a t e r i a l m e e t s o u r p u r e s t
i n t e n t i o n . M a k i n g b e c o m e s a f o r m o f c a r e — f o r h u m a n i t y , f o r
M o t h e r N a t u r e .
T h e e x h i b i t i o n ’ s f i b r e w o r k s a r e g r o u n d e d i n t h i s t h i n k i n g ,
b u t t h e c o n v e r s a t i o n r i p p l e s o u t w a r d ... T h e e x h i b i t i o n
i n t r o d u c e s m a t e r i a l t h r e s h o l d s t h r o u g h t h e i n c l u s i o n o f o t h e r
c o n t e m p o r a r y v i s u a l a r t i s t s w o r k i n g w i t h d i f f e r e n t m a t e r i a l s
a n d p r a c t i c e s t h a t h o l d s i m i l a r v a l u e s — e v e n i f t h e y s p e a k a
s l i g h t l y d i f f e r e n t v i s u a l l a n g u a g e . A r t i s t s w h o w o r k w i t h
c l a y , p a p e r , a n d f o r a g e d e a r t h , a n d w h o f e e l d e e p l y
c o n n e c t e d t o t h e l a n d a n d t h e h u m a n h e a r t , a r e c o n s i d e r e d ,
a s t h e i r m a t e r i a l s a c t a s t h r e s h o l d s r a t h e r t h a n d e p a r t u r e s .
P a p e r e c h o e s f i b r e i n i t s f r a g i l i t y a n d s t r e n g t h . C l a y c a r r i e s
t h e w e i g h t o f p l a c e — s o i l a n d e a r t h . T h e s e m a t e r i a l s h o l d t h e
t e n s i o n b e t w e e n c o n t r o l a n d c o l l a p s e , p e r m a n e n c e a n d
v u l n e r a b i l i t y . T o g e t h e r , t h e y e x p a n d t h e f i b r e c o n v e r s a t i o n
i n t o a w i d e r m a t e r i a l e c o l o g y — o n e w h e r e e v e r y t h i n g f e e l s
m a d e , t o u c h e d , n e g o t i a t e d , a n d c o n s i d e r e d a t t h e p o i n t o f
c o n v e r g e n c e .
F r o m t h e n e e d l e p o i n t , t h e e x h i b i t i o n o p e n s t o w a r d w h a t w e
t h i n k o f a s t h e i n f i n i t y p o i n t : t h e h u m a n h e a r t . B o r r o w e d
f r o m t h e i d e a o f h e a r t c o h e r e n c e — t h e p o i n t i n t h e h e a r t
w h e r e l o v e l i v e s w i t h o u t l i m i t — t h i s i s n ’ t m e a n t a s s o m e t h i n g
a b s t r a c t o r u n r e a c h a b l e . I t ’ s g r o u n d e d . I t ’ s f e l t . I t ’ s a b o u t
r e m e m b e r i n g t h a t c a r e , w h e n c e n t r e d , s p i r a l s o u t w a r d .
T h i s i s w h e r e c r a f t b e c o m e s q u i e t l y r a d i c a l . N o t d e c o r a t i v e .
N o t n o s t a l g i c . B u t a w a y o f c h o o s i n g s l o w n e s s i n a c u l t u r e o f
s p e e d . C h o o s i n g r e l a t i o n s h i p s o v e r e x t r a c t i o n . C h o o s i n g
r e p a i r o v e r r e p l a c e m e n t .
T h e L a s t S t r a w , N e e d l e P o i n t t o I n f i n i t y P o i n t s t a n d s a t
t h e s e t h r e s h o l d s , a t t h i s p r e c i p i c e o f c h a n g e — t o n o t i c e t h e
s m a l l g e s t u r e s , t h e h e l d m a t e r i a l s , t h e p o i n t s w h e r e
s o m e t h i n g i s i n t e n t i o n a l l y j o i n e d r a t h e r t h a n m i n d l e s s l y t o r n
a p a r t : a b r u s h s t r o k e a s t h e b i g g e s t g e s t u r e , c l a y c o i l e d i n
c o m m u n i o n . I t a s k s w h a t m i g h t b e p o s s i b l e i f w e p a i d
a t t e n t i o n t h e r e . I f w e l e t c a r e l e a d . I f w e t r u s t e d t h a t e v e n
t h e f i n e s t t h r e a d , h e l d w i t h l o v i n g i n t e n t i o n , c a n e x t e n d f a r
b e y o n d w h a t w e c a n s e e . F r o m t h i s r u p t u r e e m e r g e s t h e
n e e d l e p o i n t — t h e s i t e o f p r e c i s i o n , c a r e , a n d i n t e n t i o n a l
i n t e r v e n t i o n — e x t e n d i n g t h r o u g h o u r e v e r - e x p a n d i n g i n f i n i t y
p o i n t .
‘The Last Straw From Needle Point To Infinity Point’ an exhibition co-curated by VIVIERS, Li
Edelkoort and Philip Fimmano (Founders of World Hope Forum).
Sponsors/Partner: Mohair South Africa (@mohairsouthafrica), Cape Wools SA
(@capewools), Krone (@krone.world), Polo South Africa (@polosouthafrica), Gerber &
Co (@gerber_and_co), Samil Natural Fibres (@samil_natural_fibres), and
THEFOURTH (@_the fourth_)fibres)
With Special thanks to Hannerie Visser (@hannerievisser) from Studio H (@studio_h_)
Curated by: Lezanne Viviers (@lezanneviviers), Li Edelkoort (@lidewijedelkoort), and Philip
Fimmano (@philipfimmano) (@worldhopeforum)
Photographer: Zander Opperman (@uglybruv)
Location: Apartment 1101, Mutual Heights, 14 Darling Street, Cape Town, CBD
PARTICIPANTS:
Adrian Pepe, Aelahn, Anika Lötter, Bev Butkow, Bevan de Wet, Camilla Pontiggia, Cape
Cobra Leathercraft, Chantel Zalaiskalns, Christine Jacobs, Crystal Birch, Claudy Jongstra,
Connade, Cool Tabs, Curación × UNI FORM, Daisie Jo, Daniel Costa, Frances V.H Mohair,
Gerber & Co, Gina Niederhumer represented by Kim Sacks Gallery, Hannelie Bekker, Heino Schmitt Design, Helderstroom Alpaca, James Barry Slabbert, Lee-At Meyerov represented by Berman Contemporary Gallery, Leila Atelier, Lucie Panis-Jones represented by Kim Sacks Gallery, Marlene Steyn represented by SMAC Gallery, Maddelein Anderson, Melissa Fontini, Merchants on Long, Michael Ludwig, Michaela Younge, Miro van der Vloed, Myrtle Edwards, Naked Ape x Ira Bekker, Nina Kruger, Nwabisa Ntlokwana, Oyuna Tserendorj,
Pascale Gatzen, Pascale Theron, Paul Kristafor represented by Kim Sacks Gallery, Polo
South Africa, Potrend, Quenti Alpaca, Renee Roussow, Rita Trafford, Ronel Jordaan,
Sabrina Stadlober, Sada Sabbagha, Salabim, Stephanie Bentum Textiles, Tali Lehr-Sacks
represented by Kim Sacks Gallery, Rodan Kane Hart represented by THEFOURTH, Tosca
Lazard, UNI FORM, Verónica Santamaria Querubín and VIVIERS.
A selection of student works from the Design Academy of Fashion are included in the
exhibitions.
VIVIERS TEAM:
Chiara Galvani (@chiara__galvani), Siyabonga Ceya Ndwalaza (@ceyasada), Chantel
Mpoy, Cebo Mtshemla (@cigaretttesandtofu), Simone Le Pere (@simonedragonfly), Mark
Austin, Elizabeth Matumi, Boras Kadilu, Cole Heard (@colelucaheard), Owethu Taliwe
(@owethutaliwe), Karla Muller (@lifeofkarla), Dylan Chiro (@dylan.chiro), Nkateko Hlahleni
(@jumpman.the.creative), Dilawar Shah, Dharma Samieer
CAPE TOWN TEAM:
Lize-Marie (@_lizaxjvr_), Bradley Cloete (@bradelwaddel), Thoriso Nkosi (@thorisonkosi),
Liso Ceza (@lisoceza)
Special thanks to FEDISA Fashion School students that assisted our team during Art
Week.