Visit time: 10 - 20 minutes
This presentation is the result of a unique co-creation process, in which groups from the city are paired with textile artists to develop a Soft Space together. For this third edition of Soft Spaces, participants from Feniks – Emancipation Expertise Centre worked with textile artist Lisa Ijeoma.
The participants began their search for home by asking themselves: What do I need to feel safe somewhere? And also: What does my dream home look like? Together, they created a space in which they could embrace vulnerability and share their stories freely.
They experimented with materials, shapes and words to create a physical representation of an emotional concept. The final installation reflects their shared experience: a home that is not defined by walls, but by the people who come together there.
For each participant, “home” has a unique meaning, but one thing is certain: it is precisely in vulnerability that recognition arises and connection grows. In this space, we have woven together all the stories, shared experiences and created a safe place together.
You are invited to be part of this space. What makes a place safe for you? Is it the warmth of a familiar home? The feeling that you can be yourself without judgement? Is it a smell, a sound or a certain place where you can completely relax? What gives you the deep sense that this is where you belong, this is where you are at home?
About Soft Spaces
Soft Spaces is a long-term project in which Design Museum Den Bosch connects three groups from the city with three textile designers to work with them on three consecutive presentations through co-creation. Soft Spaces: Dream House is the second presentation in the series and is being created by Feniks – Emancipation Expertise Centre in collaboration with Lisa Ijeoma. The central question is how textile working methods can be used to create an accessible, safe space for sharing and healing the powerful emotions surrounding mental health and identity. Soft Spaces elaborates on the idea of a “safe space” by questioning what a “safe space” can look and feel like for different groups. After all, design arises from a social need, and textiles can make (social) connections discussable and visible.
This project is supervised by public outreach officer Sanne Boersma and was created in collaboration with participants from Feniks – Emancipation Expertise Centre and textile artist Lisa Ijeoma. The graphic design was provided by Dana Dijkgraaf Design.
