The AICCM Textile Special Interest Group (TSIG) Symposium was held on the last few chilly days of June at the National Gallery of Victoria, Naarm/Melbourne. There was a record number of conservation speakers populating the three days of talks, presenting on topics including object histories and how they inform our practice, specialist mounting techniques and projects, lessons from recent treatments, and managing large stocks of mannequins.
Culture Cloth Connection, the AICCM Textile Special Interest Group Symposium, was held at the NGV’s education studio, 26–28 June 2024. Attendees appreciated the on-theme measuring tape lanyards and exhibition-label name tags. The organising committee took a considered approach to providing conference material, and focused on only the essentials – name tag and program – with the intention of producing as little waste as possible.
Additionally, the group had the privilege of hearing several guest speakers talk about their making practices. Mitch Mahoney, a Boonwurrung and Barkinji artist spoke in conversation with his mother, Kerri Clarke, a Boonwurrung cloak maker, about their practice of possum-skin cloak making and Mitch’s focus on the revitalisation of South-Eastern Aboriginal practices. Dr Kirsten Lyttle, Māori-Australian academic, artist and researcher spoke about her practice and her incorporation of Indigenous-centred methodologies, knowledge systems and customary art practices, which she beautifully integrates with contemporary technologies like photography and video. This was showcased in her work Kahu Whakaahua (2022–23), a ‘Digital Māori Cloak’, in which photographic prints of tiled sections of a cloak initially constructed using the raranga artform are used to construct a cloak form. Kencho Dekar, a master traditional dye-maker from Bhutan, spoke about his practice of producing natural dyes and dyed textiles. With few practitioners still producing traditional Bhutanese natural dyes, the tradition is endangered; Kencho’s work is a significant contributor to the continuation and preservation of a traditional practice of making, and also economically supports the traditional Bhutanese textile industry. Finally, Charlotte Botica, curatorial project officer, fashion and textiles, spoke about the curation and production of Africa Fashion, an exhibition developed by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and currently on display at the NGV International. The show celebrates the creativity and highlights the global impact of contemporary African fashions from the mid-20th century through to now.
Attendees were also able to tour the NGV’s newly relocated conservation labs on-site at NGV International, with a talk from the Textiles team about their experiences with mannequinage and large-scale costume mounting projects. The bright open space had many struck with lab envy! Tours of the newly built Arts Centre combination store and lab had a similar effect; the opening of drawers full of neatly lined up ballet shoes and beautifully hanging costumes were met with a choir of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’—aren’t conservators easily pleased!
TSIG Symposium attendees on a tour of the Arts Centre’s conservation and storage spaces with Textile Conservator Bronwyn Cosgrove. Image credit: Gaynor Ashford.
Mannequinage on display at the new NGV textile conservation studio. Julia Spizzica’s custom underpinnings, discussed in her talk She’s Got the (period) Look as part of the Symposium were brought out for attendees to examine up close.
The cohort owes a huge thank you to the standing TSIG Symposium organising committee: Skye Firth, Kate Douglas, Bella Lipson-Smith and Julia Spizzica. The new co-conveners, Mary-Anne Gooden and Victoria Thomas at Artlab, have a big job ahead in organising the next symposium, set for 2026 on Kaurna Country.