SOFT galleri is pleased to present a site-specific exhibition of works by Eli Eines.
The exhibition, which takes the form of an installation that includes sculpture, text and performance, is built around a double-finger-crochet chain that covers much of the floor. Eines started making this chain when she was an art student in the late 1990s; she has continued working on it periodically, alongside other art projects. This work has many similarities with traditional handicraft. Over the years meter upon meter of textiles have passed through the artist’s hands and been treated by her. But in contrast to the normal handicraft that results in a garment or finished product, this particular work is a visualization of a process – of time and of the artist’s effort and concentration.

Eines will be in the gallery several times during the exhibition period, working on the chain as a performance. At the same time she invites the public to join her in discussion.
Eines is interested in the intrinsic meaning of textile techniques. She uses their visual languages to say something about the world in which she lives. With appliqué techniques and felt, she has made a globe and mounted it on a lampstand. This sculpture gives no light but makes our world more present, reflecting a concern for what happens in and to the world.

Accompanying the exhibition is a series of texts called ‘Textile Monologues’, in which five women talk about why they do handiwork. Each person’s reasons are closely related to her lifeworld. The women preserve resources, clothe and protect their fellow human beings and create a space for personal creativity.

Translation: Arlyne Moi